Disruptiing the status quo: A case study of digital mobilization & awareness within Black Lives Matter.

摘要

hat sparks a revolution? In August 2014, millions were spurred to action by the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. By fall of that year, protests surrounding Brown's death were subsumed under the organization, Black Lives Matter (BLM). Continuing today, BLM has become a movement that fights to change social discourse and public policies that marginalize Black citizens. Researchers have found that the maintenance of this movement is contingent upon social networks built within the digital sphere. Through the use of social media platforms, BLM now has a community of supporters that stretches into the millions. This study examines the use of the popular Twitter hashtag