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🚨 What Happened on Black Lives Matter Twitter Last Week - May 31st
socialstudies.substack.com

🚨 What Happened on Black Lives Matter Twitter Last Week - May 31st

✊🏾 The WORLD marched together, 🚨 Looters took advantage, 🚨 Police brutality got put on display, ✊🏾 Tech stood in solidarity, 🙌 Some hope emerged, and more!

Brett Goldstein
Jun 8, 2020
2
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🚨 What Happened on Black Lives Matter Twitter Last Week - May 31st
socialstudies.substack.com

The tech industry is pro-future. We spend our time dreaming up and building products we believe will have the largest positive impact on the lives of the largest number of people by disrupting archaic or even corrupt systems. But change doesn’t happen in a vacuum.

What seems incredibly apparent today is that technology and activism twin sisters in this struggle to improve the lives of every day people. Without camera phones and Twitter, the George Floyd protests would not be what they are today. But without activist movements, Twitter would not positively impact the world nearly as much.

As a result, I wanted to share some quick highlights from the George Floyd protests last week instead of our usual tech programming.

- Brett

Twitter avatar for @thatguyBGBrett Goldstein @thatguyBG
Today is my birthday. It's also Breonna Taylor's birthday. It's been tough for me lately - was laid off, broke up with my gf, and my dad's health is taking a dive. But I am alive and Breonna is not - and it's clear why. Support me by supporting her 👇
gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justic…Justice for Breonna Taylor (official)(#BREEWAYY) organized by Bianca AustinThe community has been reaching out in support of Bree’s family and wan… Bianca Austin needs your support for Justice for Breonna Taylor (official)(#BREEWAYY)gofundme.com

June 5th 2020

1 Retweet17 Likes

✊🏾 The WORLD marched together

A social movement historian reflected that this is the first time in recent memory that there have been large-scale nation-wide protest for two weeks straight. What’s more is that this is now an international movement - as it should be.

The United States may have the most egregiously oppressive criminal justice system of any developed country, but European colonial history is also riddled with the horrors of the African slave trade.

This movement is now bigger than Minneapolis or the United States.

Twitter avatar for @JoshuaPotashJoshua Potash @JoshuaPotash
This is incredible. Protests all around the world saying #BlackLivesMatter
Image

June 2nd 2020

1,062 Retweets1,919 Likes
Twitter avatar for @thatguyBGBrett Goldstein @thatguyBG
This is a truly global movement. Amazing.
Image

June 8th 2020

This was one of my favorite forms of protest, courtesy of the DC mayor:

Twitter avatar for @anichols03Anthony Nichols @anichols03
DC mayor Muriel bowser is my favorite right now 💯 She painted the street the whitehouse is on with BLACK LIVES MATTER AND because I LOVE this level of petty, She renamed the street BLACK LIVES MATTER PLZ So now trump lives at 1600 black lives matter plaza ✊🏽✊🏾✊🏿
Image

June 5th 2020

621 Retweets1,823 Likes

🚨 Looters took advantage

While most protests have been peaceful, many have devolved into riots and looting. The National Guard and militarized police forces were deployed in many cities across the country to enforce curfews and quell the violence.

There’s been a lot of debate around the role of violent protest in movements like this. On one hand, violence is violence and committing injustices in the name of justice is counterproductive and delegitimizes the movement.

Twitter avatar for @AntonioFrenchAntonio French @AntonioFrench
Generations of pain.
Image

May 31st 2020

85,504 Retweets252,916 Likes

On the flip side, many have argued that while violent uprisings are indeed awful, they are proven throughout history to major catalysts of change.

Kimberly Jones, an activist and author, reiterates a point Trevor Noah made that when the body responsible for enforcing the law and keeping peace does neither, law is called into question entirely. It doesn’t so much endorse looting but rather reframes the question of if it even matters given the state of things.

Twitter avatar for @MatthewACherryMatthew A. Cherry @MatthewACherry
Listen to what this sister has to say. I added captions to the video for anyone who needs it. Credit: David Jones Media
youtube.com/channel/UCtwoP…
Image

June 5th 2020

12,755 Retweets24,313 Likes

🚨 Police brutality got put on display

Thanks to the fact that everyone now has the tools to capture and share video to millions of people around the world in seconds, missteps of police offers around the country were put on display.

I keep thinking about the Vietnam War, which was forced to an end after intense protests lead by young people seeing uncensored footage of the horrors of the war. We’re in a remarkably parallel time where uncensored video again is playing a huge role in galvanizing the public.

There are plenty of examples of police respectfully and safely executing their duties, but it’s the atrocities that this movement exists to end.

These videos capture a few of the worst moments since protests began:

Twitter avatar for @RexChapmanRex Chapman🏇🏼 @RexChapman
This is madness. A young woman sitting in the street — in obvious distress. A policeman kicks her in the face. We’re apparently not better than this...
Image

June 5th 2020

23,161 Retweets43,941 Likes
Twitter avatar for @ADeliciousBearnot sweat daddy 🌒 @ADeliciousBear
This is what's going on in Philly. Police randomly attacking civilians with mace. They weren't rioting, they weren't looting, they weren't protesting, they weren't protesting, they weren't even antagonizing the police, they were walking home. Who really are the "thugs?"
Image

June 3rd 2020

27,327 Retweets54,671 Likes
Twitter avatar for @JordanUhljordan @JordanUhl
Who does this protect?
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June 5th 2020

209,877 Retweets455,887 Likes
Twitter avatar for @weslyinfinityWesly the 📸 @weslyinfinity
What @kcpolice did today was UNFORGIVABLE and UNFORGETTABLE
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June 1st 2020

55,082 Retweets93,679 Likes

Click into this one - it’s a full tweetstorm of videos.

Twitter avatar for @chadloderChad Loder @chadloder
National Guard marches through a quiet residential neighborhood in #Minneapolis, screaming at citizens to get inside. Soldiers stop to point their guns at residents on their balcony. They yell “LIGHT THEM UP” as they fire riot control rounds at them.
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May 31st 2020

55,978 Retweets90,146 Likes

Many many many more listed here.

✊🏾 Tech stood in solidarity

Companies and individuals issued statements and made donations. Andreessen Horowitz announced a new fund for founders from underrepresented backgrounds where 100% of the returns would be reinvested. It’s pretty on brand for the firm which already has more black partners than any other top venture firm as well as deep ties to the black community.

Twitter avatar for @NaithanJonesNait Jones ⚡️⚡️⚡️ @NaithanJones
Nothing more to prove, but everything left to achieve For the people ✊🏾
a16z.com/2020/06/03/tal…Introducing the Talent x Opportunity Fund - Andreessen HorowitzThe Talent x Opportunity Fund (TxO) is designed for entrepreneurs who have the talent, drive, and ideas to build great businesses but lack the typical background and resources to do so. In addition to seed capital, we will provide these potentially great entrepreneurs with the knowledge and the netw…a16z.com

June 5th 2020

48 Retweets471 Likes

Alexis Ohanian, founder of Reddit, relinquished his board seat and told the board to nominate a black person to replace him. This would be an incredible move given that very few large tech companies have black board members that are not Chief Diversity Officers.

Twitter avatar for @alexisohanianAlexis Ohanian Sr. 🚀 @alexisohanian
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June 5th 2020

7,946 Retweets44,095 Likes

Also check out Bezos’ response to a customer who was upset to see “Black Lives Matter” on Amazon.com.

🙌 Some hope emerged

What seems to be true of any large group of people, whether it’s Patriots fans, wealthy people, or police, is that there are good people and bad people. There were a number of reminders this week that there are indeed a lot of good police officers. One of my favorite examples is the Houston police chief:

Twitter avatar for @bribrielle_brat @bribrielle_
Art Acevedo, Houston Chief of Police “DONT FOLLOW THAT BULLSHIT”
Image

May 31st 2020

138,358 Retweets362,491 Likes

And the folks down in Atlanta:

Twitter avatar for @JennyJarvieJenny Jarvie @JennyJarvie
Countdown to curfew in Atlanta
Image

June 5th 2020

28,019 Retweets104,403 Likes

Most importantly, a lot of progress was made as a direct impact of the protests.

Twitter avatar for @ortiz4congressJonathan Ortiz for Congress @ortiz4congress
Sources are reporting that NYPD Commissioner and Chief Of Department are resigning and between 300 and 800 officers are retiring immediately.

June 8th 2020

7,229 Retweets26,945 Likes
Twitter avatar for @ACLUMNACLU of Minnesota @ACLUMN
BREAKING: Minneapolis City Council members have announced their intent to disband the Minneapolis Police Department and invest in community-led public safety.

June 7th 2020

132,314 Retweets375,010 Likes
Twitter avatar for @GavinNewsomGavin Newsom @GavinNewsom
Protesters have the right to protest peacefully -- not be harassed. Not be shot at by rubber bullets or tear gas. Today I am calling for the creation of a new statewide standard for use of force in protests. Acts of violence against peaceful protestors will not be tolerated.

June 5th 2020

24,219 Retweets120,995 Likes
Twitter avatar for @JulianStephenJu @JulianStephen
Breonna Taylor’s case has been reopened.

June 4th 2020

339,770 Retweets1,557,238 Likes

And it likely won’t be the end of it.

Twitter avatar for @WesleyLoweryWesley @WesleyLowery
NEWS: the Floyd family and Al Sharpton announce an they will hold a massive march on Washington in August to call for a federal policing equality act

June 4th 2020

37,650 Retweets178,353 Likes

👍 Other great tweets

Twitter avatar for @jpegjoshuaJosh Albert @jpegjoshua
couple in philly gets married at protest, joins march
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June 6th 2020

16,726 Retweets100,252 Likes
Twitter avatar for @HipCityReg🌀 @HipCityReg
I held off in writing this, & wrestled with the idea of publishing But when talking to my Black peers within the industry, it became increasingly clear There is a myth about the value of Black people in this community and we need more language around it
The Myth Of Blackness In Venture“Issue”: 041hipcityreg.substack.com

June 4th 2020

281 Retweets1,022 Likes
Twitter avatar for @pewresearchPew Research Center @pewresearch
In our 2016 survey of American police officers, 92% of white officers said the U.S. had made the changes needed to give blacks equal rights with whites; just 29% of black officers agreed.
pewrsr.ch/2Mguqwt
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May 31st 2020

125 Retweets148 Likes


✌️Thanks

Remember that inequality is a social problem as much as a policy problem. Find opportunities to impact change that are within your direct locus of control - that’s where we start. Keep fighting that good fight!

Twitter avatar for @BerniceKingBe A King @BerniceKing
“Daddy changed the world.” ~6 year-old Gianna Floyd about her father, #GeorgeFloyd. 🖤 #BlackLivesMatter
Image

June 3rd 2020

44,727 Retweets142,826 Likes
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🚨 What Happened on Black Lives Matter Twitter Last Week - May 31st
socialstudies.substack.com
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