Digital Supplement: Learn More About #BlackLivesMatter
Although rooted in Twitter, the #BlackLivesMatter movement has utilized media bridging effectively, expanding its message across various new media platforms. From its own official webpage to blog sites and social media sites, #BlackLivesMatter has been allowed to live and foster freely in the digital world. Through these new media platforms, a historically marginalized group of African American individuals have been given a voice and a space to express themselves and their concerns, build connections and engage in conversation, and organize and protest for a common cause. Twitter has been a great tool for getting information "out there" in real time. It has been used effectively during protests (whether violent or not). Blog sites and Facebook Community pages have allowed for open conversation; to speak about issues, to talk about their lives; to voice their struggles. Now it's important to realize that given its openness, anyone can join the conversation, even those with opposing views and values. Videos have also been utilized to convey messages in ways that written words can't. Videos often put faces to stories. Finally, having an official webpage has cemented the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The official webpage has provided a space where anyone interested or involved in the movement can get information from the direct source.