ACTIVIST CULTURE
Activism is the use of vigorous campaigning to bring about social and/or political change. Black Lives Matter has drawn on the historical campaigns of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement while also embracing our current technological age to help spread their movement's message.
blacklivesmatter
ACTIVISM THEN
ACTIVISM NOW
Hashtag Activism
Social media has been a key tool for today's activists because it allows them to rally support far and wide and across a variety of generations. Social media has been vital to Black Lives Matter and many of the people involved in the movement have been young people. Check out the two articles linked below to learn more about hashtag activism and the rise of student activism.
ACTIVISM IN THE ARTS
A variety of art forms including film, television and music are used by activists in conjunction with other forms of protest to further the social change they seek. Music, specifically, plays an important role in many social movements because of its ability to spread identity and culture, as well as empowering and motivating activists.
Television is another form of activism in the arts.
ABC's drama Scandal released a Ferguson-inspired episode that explored race, identity, bigotry and conscience. It aired the same week that the US Justice Department released its report on the Ferguson Police department, and sparked a massive conversation around the on-going Black Lives Matter movement.
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How Many - Miguel
Baltimore - Prince (ft. Eryn Allen Kane)
Don't Shoot - The Game
"Performance allows for a level of direct intervention. ... It forces people ... to see and interact with the black body in a way that is very powerful."
— Naima Keith, deputy director California African American Museum
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“Daye Jack “Hands Up” ft. Killer Mike.” YouTube, uploaded by Daye Jack, 1 Feb. 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeFM_PU7fcA.
Dennis, Andrea L. "Black Contemporary Social Movements, Resource Mobilization, and Black Musical Activism." Law and Contemporary Problems, vol. 79, no. 3, 2016, pp. 29-51.
Gilbert, Sophie. “Scandal’s Ferguson-Inspired Episode Was Extraordinary Television.” The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/scandals-ferguson-inspired-episode-was-extraordinary-television/387106/. Accessed 30 Mar. 2017.
“How 'Scandal' Brought TV to Its Tipping Point With Ferguson-Inspired Episode.” YouTube, uploaded by Entertainment Tonight, 6 Mar. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go7UAhel5fQ.
Khan-Ibarra, Sabina. “The Case For Social Media and Hashtag Activism.” The Huffington Post, 13 Jan. 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sabina-khanibarra/the-case-for-social-media_b_6149974.html. Accessed 30 Mar. 2017.
Miranda, Carolina A. “'It hasn't left me': How Black Lives Matter used performance to create unforgettable 2016 moments.” Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2016. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/miranda/la-ca-cm-year-end-black-lives-matter-artists-20161218-story.html. Accessed 30 Mar. 2017.
Spanos, Brittany and Sarah Grant. “Songs of Black Lives Matter: 22 New Protest Anthems.”Rolling Stone, 13 Jul. 2016. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/songs-of-black-lives-matter-22-new-protest-anthems-20160713. Accessed 30 Mar. 2017.
Wong, Alia. “The Renaissance of Student Activism.” The Atlantic, 21 May 2015. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/05/the-renaissance-of-student-activism/393749/. Accessed 30 Mar 2017.