Now Trending: Black Lives Matter

Social media has created unique opportunities for activists to raise awareness around an important cause. The Black Lives Matter movement, or BLM for short, has in many ways depended on the use of social media to ignite the fire in many of our hearts and spark conversation. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, even Tik Tok have made it easier for people to show their support for a cause and allowed activists to reach audiences who otherwise wouldn’t have been involved in these dialogues.

With that being said, I worry that over time people will grow “tired” of their Instagram being flooded with these kinds of posts. BLM is not a chic trend to upgrade your Instagram nor is it to be used for Twitter clout or Tik Tok views. I anticipate over the next few months that my newsfeeds will “go back to normal” as they did in 2014 during the Ferguson protests. I remember being only fifteen and feeling anger and disgust at how my peers reacted to these events. Like it was a game and once they grew tired of playing they had the luxury of opting out of the conversation.

We keep movements alive with continued conversations and continued action. I understand that social justice movements evolve and change over time, but I cannot stand idly by as my people are being killed every day and only every few years do we collectively decide to speak up. I was once told that in order to have an impact on people, my activism needed to be “relatable”. But our activism shouldn’t have to be clean, and easy to consume. It will be messy and it yeah it just might interfere with your Instagram aesthetic.

So, I ask you, how are you supporting the movement beyond your online presence? There are many ways to engage with a cause, some are physically taxing and require one to be fully able-bodied like attending protests. But others can be done at home like calling politicians or signing petitions. It is our dedication to the cause that is going to translate into tangible change. Minneapolis City Council members have already shared that they intend to defund and dismantle the city's police department. And if you’re wondering how a city could function without a police department I call on you to do a little research of your own and read about something called Restorative Justice. The Louisville Metro Council also voted to ban no-knock search warrants after the murder of Breonna Taylor, calling it Breonna’s Law. Already we are seeing massive policy shifts which leave me optimistic for the future. But remember these changes don’t mean to sit back and relax quite yet. One of the biggest hurdles of activism is thinking someone else will continue the work for you, but if we all have that mindset the work ends right there.