http://www.racismreview.com/blog/2012/03/29/trayvon-martin-racism-and-social-media/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+racismreview%2FnYnz+%28racismreview.com%29
This is an excellent analysis of how social media has become a key tool for social/political movements today, as is evident in the debate over the Trayvon Martin case.
It raises very interesting issues related to historical connections of "vigilante justice" with the thousands of lynchings of black men, and the (potentially racist) assumptions behind the "Stand Your Ground" law that has been passed in a number of states. What if Trayvon had been white, and Zimmerman had been African American, would the shooter still be walking the streets as police try to figure out "if a crime has been committed?"
Social media has been a powerful tool in this debate including campaigns in support of Martin and his family, and others on the other side with more ugly rhetoric. It also shows the great potential to use this new media in work toward social change.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI thought this article was great however I don't think that the use of media to effect social change is new. During the Civil Rights Movement media was used to show the world the contradiction of America's democracy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that is was the soviet union that poited out contradiction. How can America tell the world one man on vote and deny voting right to its own citizens. The images and the news coverage where spread around the world.
This article also points out something that I have noticed for a while and that is the imaging and the language that is used. In bias media...when I young black male under the age of 18 commits a crime they often refer to him as a man...when a white male commits a crime they often refer to him as a boy.
On the bright side the article shows what can happen when the people choose to take action and become active