SOCIAL MEDIA AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADVOCACY THROUGH THE SUCCESS OF #BLACKLIVESMATTER

Abstract

This paper investigates the utilization of social media by the African American Movement, specifically focusing on the #BlackLivesMatter movement, to advocate for human rights. The study explores the impact of social media within the past 10 years, coinciding with the transition from Barack Obama's presidency to Donald Trump's. It aims to determine whether the shift from an African American president to a white president has influenced the movement's use of social media. The paper acknowledges certain limitations, including the narrow timeframe and the focus solely on #BlackLivesMatter, which may not represent all African American social movements. Additionally, the study focuses exclusively on social media usage within the United States, without exploring its impact on the African American movement outside the country. The research relies on publicly available data from Twitter gathered in 2020 by PEW researchers, primarily examining personal social media usage rather than that of communities or corporations. It acknowledges that there may be inaccessible private groups and communities on social media, potentially limiting the representation of findings. Despite these limitations, the study offers valuable insights into the role of social media in the African American Movement's advocacy for human rights and its relationship with the #BlackLivesMatter movement.