The problem with performative activism - Massachusetts Daily ...

White progressivism and performative activism can be a dangerous duo. Andy+Castillo%2FDaily+Collegian. Andy Castillo/Daily Collegian. RSSFeed Flickr YouTube SoundCloud LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Facebook SubmitSearch Search CloseMenu Search MassachusettsDailyCollegianMenuMassachusettsDailyCollegianHome News CampusNews SGA StudentLife Administration COVID-19 SocialJustice LocalNews Politics Env.&Tech. 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Thesocialmediamovement#BlackoutTuesdaybeganasaprotestfollowingthekillingsofGeorgeFloyd,BreonnaTaylor,AhmaudArberyandcountlessothers.Atweetfrom@pausetheshowannouncedJune2asa“daytotakeabeatforanhonest,reflectiveandproductiveconversationaboutwhatactionsweneedtocollectivelytaketosupporttheblackcommunity.”TwoBlackmusicexecutivesatAtlanticRecords,BriannaAgyemangandJamilaThomas,startedtheinitiativetogether.Theircampaign,althoughwell-intentioned,quicklydevolvedintoanothermeaninglesstrend—#BlackoutTuesdaydiminishedanauthenticresponsetothousandsofmeaninglessblacksquares. Thepostsdevelopedcontroversywhentheystartedclogginghashtagsthathadimportant,relevantinformationabouttheBlackLivesMattermovement.Manyofthepostswerecaptionedwithsomevariationof#BlackLivesMatterandnothingelse.IwasunawareofthetrendatfirstanditastoundedmeasIscrolledthroughpostafterpostofblackscreenswithlittletonodescriptions.WhenIsearchedthehashtag,whichbeforewasfloodedwithinformationabouttheongoingmovement,Ifoundnothingbutanabyssofblacksquares.Thetrend,tryingtodrawmediaattentiontoBlackLivesMatter,expungedthehashtagofusefulandpurposefulinformation. Inthisway,June2begananothermovement:oneofwhitepeopletryingtomarkthemselvesasanti-racist.DaringtonotposttheholygrailofBlackallyship—theblacksquare—wasmetwithjudgementandoutrage.Ididn’tpostitforthereasonsoutlinedaboveandwasmessagedbymyfriendswhowereangeredthatIwasn’t“doingmypart.”Thecriticismsurroundingwhatwedoanddon’tpostonsocialmediashadedtheonce-innocentblacksquareinadarkertone:ithadbecomeasymbolofwhitefearandguilt. TheBlackLivesMattermovementawokeanunidentifiedfearinwhiteprogressivesacrossthenation,examinedandnamedbyauthorRobinDiAngeloas“whitefragility.”DiAngelo,aracialequitytrainerandacademic,titledhernovelafterthiscollectiveanxiety.Shedebunkstheideathatracismisanactandestablishesitasasystemweareallcomplicitin.Whiteprogressivesareterrifiedofbeingaccusedofracismbecausetheydefinearacistasapersonwhoisoutwardlyprejudicedagainstpeopleofcolor.Bypartakinginactivismonline,theyfeelmorallysuperiorandevolvedfromsuchbehaviorandwanttomakethatcleartoeveryonearoundthem.AsDiAngelosaysinherbook,“Whiteprogressivescanbethemostdifficultforpeopleofcolorbecause,tothedegreethatwethinkwehavearrived,wewillputourenergyintomakingsurethatothersseeushavingarrived.”Byrejectingthatweareallimplicitlyracist,thereisnoroomforchangeorreform.Theyholdthesystemofracisminplacewiththeirownsmugthumb. IwouldberemissifIdidnotacknowledgethatperformativesocialmediaactivismhasbeenthestepping-stoneforsomereal,groundbreakingactivism.Media’sfixationonracismhasbeenenoughtomakecorporationsstarttosweat.Followingthe#MeToomovement,businessesthatdidnotfiresexualpredatorsormakepolicychangesbegantocrumble.ThesameinfrastructureshiftwasexpectedfromtheBlackLivesMattermovement.Althoughmediaactivismontheindividuallevelwaslargelyperformative,itservesasawatchdogforracistbehavioranddisruptsthevisiblepatternsofwhitesolidarity. Whilesocialmediatrendspeaked,sodidtheCOVID-19pandemicwithintheUnitedStates.Americansconfinedtotheirhomestooktosocialmedia.Instagramhadadramaticuptickinpostsandstories.PeoplewerebeginningtoexperienceCOVID-19fatigueaftermonthsofisolationdrainedthemofmotivationtodotheirparttocontainthevirus.InMarch,Americanswereenergizedtodowhateverittooktoendthepandemicquickly.MonthsdraggedonwithnoendinsightandpeoplewerelargelydesensitizedtoCOVID-19newsbyJune.Therewasacollectivedesiretohavesomethingnewtofocustheirenergyandthoughtson.TheresurgenceoftheBlackLivesMattermovementonlineprovidedaneasyoutlet. TheresurgenceoftheBLMmovementsignaledashiftinmediaattentionfromtheindividualtosocialissuesatlarge.Instagramhadareputationforthesuperficial;aplatformforpeopletoflauntthebestpartsoftheirlives.DidthechangefromselfiestoBLMawarenesspostsmakeitmoregenuine?Ithinknot.Socialmediaisaplaceforpeopletomarketthemselvesasattractiveordesirabletoothers.Themarketingangleisnowgearedtopromotethesocialissuestheywantotherstoknowtheybelievein.Activismpostsarelessaboutraisingawarenessoftheissueandmoreforcallingtheuser’sstanceintoattention.Inessence,theBLMpoststhatwentvirallastsummerwereoftenreducedtoadogwhistle,awayoflettingone’sfollowersknowthattheyareanti-racistandhaveprogressivevalues. Forwhitepeople,activismhasbecome“trendy,”whichcallsthemotiveintoquestion.Aretheydoingitbecausetheyfeelstronglyabouttheissueortofollowsocialmediatrends?IfpostingaboutBLMmakesthemtrendy,thenbydoingsotheycanmarketthemselvesasdesirableandfulfilltheunspokengoalofsocialmedia.Thisparadoxexplainswhythechangeinmediacontentdoesn’tmarkachangeintheultimateobjective.Theendgoalformanyisstilltogainfollowersorbeseenaspopularandattractive,andpostingaboutBLMissimplyameansofgettingthere. Inadesperatepleatobeagoodwhitepersondoingtheirpart,socialmediaisteemingwithaconstantstreamofpostsandstoriesfromprogressives.Chainstorieslike“tag10peoplewhowon’tbreaktheBlackLivesMatterchain”areevidenceofwhitefragilitythinlyveiledasBlackallyship.ThetrendsthatwerelitteringsocialmediainthewakeofGeorgeFloyd’sdeathaccomplishedlittlemorethangivingwhitepeopleself-prideforbeingwoke.Blacksquaresandchainmailarenotenough. NowthatitisBlackHistorymonth,weareonceagainfacedwithanopportunitytouseourplatformsresponsibly.Wecandosobypromotinganddonatingtocausesthatwillsupportblackcommunities.First,thereareahostofGoFundMepagesforthefamiliesofpolicebrutalityvictims.Herearesomevictim’sfamiliestoaid:WalterWallaceJr.,KevinPetersonJr.,JacobBlake,ElijahMcClain,RayshardBrooks,JamesScurlock,TonyMcdade,DavidMcAtee,BreonnaTaylor,GeorgeFloyd,DanielPrude.AnotherworthycauseisTheBailProjectorNationalBailOut,whicharenonprofitorganizationsthatpaythebailtofreeprotestersarrestedduringBLMralliesormarches.Youcanalsosearchformorelocalizedbailfundstoaidacitynearyou.Megafundsareanothergreatwaytodonate;eachfundgiventoActBlueissplitbetweenmultipleracialjusticeorganizationsandyouhavetheabilitytoadjustexactlywhereyourdonationisgoing.Therearehundredsoforganizationsoutthere,sogopromote,volunteeranddonatetoonethatspeakstoyou. WecanalsousesocialmediaasaplatformtoeducateandinformofthehardshipsBlackcommunitiesfaceonthedaily.We,asawhitecollective,mustuseourpositionofprivilegetobeavoiceforthevoiceless.Activismmustcomefromaplaceofcompassion,notperformance.Goingalongwithtrendsliketheblacksquarefurthersourcomplicityinwhitesolidarity.Bydoingso,weareblowingtheanti-racistdogwhistleandremovingourselvesfromtheneedtokeepworkingonourownracistpatterns.WemustusesocialmediatoamplifyBlackvoicesratherthandrownthemoutinaseaofwhiteallyship. 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