Race and the Digital: Racial Formation and 21st Century TechnologiesMain Menu"From Tweets to Streets?" A Research Project with Digital Supplement"The Digital Divide" Research ProjectsRace and the Digital BlogIntersectionality and TaggingCourse SyllabusSyllabus for Race and the Digital at UCLAStatement of Values: Digital Ethnic StudiesContributors' PortfoliosAbout "Race and the Digital"Genevieve Carpiocbaef6f4fe1847cc774ee8ef5c2d6efb0a58fda3Kid Cometb62a4423d252f961609f416b7188ffbc7d84a7d3Yesenia Melgoza-Fernandeza6a8d8933b14c7be3a522d5102f92c9dfe52e9b2Michie Ortiz25daabac1577ec1d12a68b2c0b0a15c4dba1374bEduardo D. Garcia6e60d0784abf2b990f3510cceb60101259a8bdd3Alan Evangelistaf3e41e7c002a037bb13d71a1e837eb5bf5bef12fAna Victoria H.37ae5307effd9bccccea4f0fe7958d15cee30e07Arturo Sotelo38025c1bb15e36f2beff44b22df47fac513c339faade8e08161ecdfbe4206b74479dee1c1d007a58c4Ashley Martinez-Munoza5a71a08c4c1c5dc7904ffcbc148c4f2edb1e723Ebony Paramodca8ce0b7a38097adb1b511e4c75690f833171f0
Online and Offline Activism
12016-05-19T00:54:28-07:00Ebony Paramodca8ce0b7a38097adb1b511e4c75690f833171f088773plain2016-05-19T01:09:30-07:00Ebony Paramodca8ce0b7a38097adb1b511e4c75690f833171f0Ten years ago, I was in elementary school. I do recall snippets of the 2006 march (segments of what I saw about it on the news) but did not put much attention on what it was about and who it sought to help. I used my own experience to see how the advice the video you posted gave on "change the context around [the people]". My surroundings involved me going to school, completing my homework, looking after my brothers and getting my chores done. Perhaps if I was not flooded with things to do, maybe I would have paid more attention. I do agree with Costanza-Chock's statement that social media complement social movements. However, I do see that obligations people have (such as making ends meet, having to work long hours to do so, maybe having to go to school) affect their participation in movements and in becoming activists overall. Their choices really focus on helping them and their loved-ones to survive. Obligations of this nature may hinder people's - age 40 and older- involvement in social movements, and to an extent their involvement in social media and being part of a hashtag movement(s). Adding on to what Ashley shared, I too seen videos asking the viewers for money to better the lives of children, animals, and future of campaigns. As a Disability Studies minor, I was taught that these types of media were seen towards the line of a charity model, or really portraying those in need worthy of pity and worthy of being given money or any other thing(s) that might help in their recovery. Money may help movements, but what is really needed to change is people, and lots of them if making an impact is the goal. Though I am not involved in presidential campaigns as Eduardo and Addie, whom I commend, I help people vote. As an intern of Empower LA, I help neighborhoods in Los Angeles and their residents advocate for change by registering people to vote and telling them of the different social media sites the department has available for them to check for updates and events. I thought about that while reading, and also compared how it is unfortunate that there could be a bigger turnout for marches like May Day and for events in Empower LA since there is now social media that can notify people; but it is like these social media alerts are taken for granted. I feel social media has become so common, so integrated in the daily lives of people in the twenty-first century (not to mention that some individuals associate it with youth) that it is not given the attention and time it deserves. And in order to do that, lifestyles need to be given the attention they deserve, by giving them time away from busy schedules and many commitments to spend on causes individuals care about. Overall, wonderful work! I liked the fluidity of your blog and the interesting questions you posed.