008 - What a Movement Means in the Age of Social Media
I've spent a lot of the last week glued to my twitter feed. With the high attention #blacklivesmatter received this week, I am so appreciative of twitter as a tool, as well as the folks I follow. There were definite echo chamber effects, where all the posts I saw were in favor of the black lives matter movement, encouraging folks to donate and educate folks on how to be a good ally.
I've learnt a lot watching things unfold this week. I shared many of my thoughts on supporting the movement, no matter where in the world you are in this post.
The media is a source of news, but it's not the only source of news. The media is owned by someone, and that someone (or a group of someones) decide what the narrative will be. In the age of technology, social media is a huge source of information and everyone owns their own narrative. Social Media has allowed folks to share video footage of the excessive force being used during the protests, share their experiences and effectively provide evidence that could give someone their freedom. In the past week alone, we've seen how a police report claims a person tripped and fell, when multiple social media videos show otherwise. Social media has a bad stigma of being a waste of time, but this week it's proven to be one of the most powerful tools to disseminate information and hold people accountable.
Speaking of Social Media, #blacklivesmatter posts haven't just been showing up on twitter and facebook. TikTok, one of the most popular apps for teens, is filled with posts in support of the movement. These posts span discussing racism, to sharing resources on how and where to donate. There's an entire set of videos dedicated to younger GenZ's sharing stories of how they continuously shared evidence of police brutality and use of excessive force to eventually convince their parents to support the movement as well. This is an incredible way that folks who can't vote still have the ability to impact the future. Their future.
Accountability is another huge topic. Many individuals and companies have come out with statements of support, but few have actual action items on how they will enact change within their companies or products. These messages will only hold value if those individuals and companies actually enact change in the future, and follow through with sone of the promises they made. Through the power of social media, there's now many tracking documents, such as this presentation tracking what brands have promised which is curated by a group of people in color, as well as a growing list of VCs promises to support black lives matter curated by @denishakuhlor. Hey brands - the world is watching.
One of the things I've found most inspiring is the sheer number of people who have turned out for these protests, especially in the middle of a pandemic. I've participated in Women's Day Marches, and Pride Parades in the past, but this is different. I believe a big reason we're seeing such large numbers show up is related to the high unemployed rate and boredom from being locked up at home for months as a result of COVID-19. There's significantly more awareness. This is obviously not to forget and undermine the core factor that 400+ years of repression and racism black folks have felt, plus the multiple murders of young black folks. This is the largest ever civil rights protest the world has seen. If there's ever been a "there's hope for humanity" meme, now is the time to use it.
There's one giant elephant in the room that demands a lot of attention. COVID-19. I shall be carefully monitoring and watching the COVID-19 reports over the next two weeks to see what effect the protests have had on spreading the disease. Looking back on the videos, it's been extremely uncomfortable to see the sheer number of people (police and otherwise) that didn't wear masks. I'm curious to see if rising COVID-19 cases reduces protest sizes, increases restrictions and lockdowns, and puts in other tough laws in place. I'll also be carefully watching the number of legal cases that come out of #blacklivesmatter, and how many of those are people getting sued for not wearing masks. Have any predictions of your own? Reply to this email, or tweet me at @aashnisshah - I'd love to know your thoughts too!
Find Me Online
Founder Spotlight - a quick write up on some of my work with Elixir Labs
Virtually Addressing UofT Graduands - I was asked to send a congratulatory message to graduands of UofT, and it will go live on the 12th of June. I gave the address at the St Mikes UofT Graduation Ceremony last year, and here is my address.
Speaking at WomemTech on "Hype Yourself, You're Worth It!" - June 10th at 2:40pm EST
New Blog Posts
Little Plugs
LunchClub - a great way to network and meet other folks online. It's currently invite only, this link is an invite. I've met a lot of incredible people through lunchclub already.
For The Fear of Silence Podcast on Black Lives Matter movement
How To Support Black Lives Matter No Matter Where You Are
Stay Safe
Between the obvious dangers from participating in the protests and COVID-19, please stay safe out there!