#BlackLivesMatter
(Discussion based off of this article by Wired discussing the Black Lives Matter Movement)
One of the most controversial hashtags in recent history, long distance communication, especially with Social Media like Twitter, has shaped the civil rights movement.
There have always been forms of public outcry, but small scale microaggressions and injustices could not be easily reported until the internet came along. With the internet, people could post the hard evidence in the form of pictures and videos, forms of evidence that cannot be refuted in courts. People could learn the truth and see these injustices more clearly and protest, gathering in groups of safe spaces to be able to combat racism and other forms of oppression.
Social media has had its benefits to people in oppressed groups, but it's also had some repercussions. Many people are against the Black Lives Matter movement and others like it, saying it is an unnecessary movement of violence against white people. Many people will let their rage out by threatening people who support these movements in an attempt to silence them. If situations get worse, the person might get threatened in real life, or worse.
Social Media is an outlet to cry out against injustice, but there is nothing stopping other people from shouting back. With the creation of social media, it has helped empower a civil rights movement in all sorts of ways, but many people have been trying their hardest to silence their efforts. People should continue to use their right to free speech that leads to helpful discussion, and others should be able to answer back, but never to the level of threats.
In our class, we will be reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, which discusses racial issues and injustice, which is what the movement of what Black Lives Matter stands for. If the movement existed in the setting of To Kill a Mockingbird, I am sure that it would be mentioned more than once.
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