Over night and through the morning Instagram has been flooded with people posting black photos in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. This was all done in the goodness of their heart and to stand by the protestors and the movement, but people don't realize what harm it's actually creating.
This social media outbreak of posts was started by the music industry under the #theshowmustbepaused for people in the industry to observe the racial injustice in our country. But this movement has spread to people outside of of the industry and to people who are not musicians
People blindly posted the black photo to stay a part of this movement, and anybody who participated isn't bad for doing so, but is not seeing the bigger issue. We live in a digital age where all of our information is sourced through social media platforms. So when we flood your feeds with black photos and use the Black Lives Matter hashtag you are blocking out important information as well as burying the voices of protestors who need help now more than ever.
It's important to use social media to our advantages and by using it to that extent we need to be constantly spreading helpful information and supporting black communities. It is not the time to not post on Instagram it's time to use your voice and use it loudly to stand by the people in our country who face struggles every day based on the color of their skin.
It's not a good idea at all to post the black screen! This is because, even if you are not using the BLM hashtag a wave of black photos are ultimately going to clog the algorithm and feeds of black photo after black photo. If all you are seeing is a blank screen you are not seeing what's happening during protests or the frontline and this is crucial informatin since we know mainstream media is not our friend and is not going to report on this movement for us!
I'm not saying anyone is bad for posting the black photo, I'm just saying we need to be doing more than being a part of a trend. This is not a trend, this is a movement and we need to do more. Don't post a black photo, post bailout funds, post petitions, ways people can help on your feed. Let people see the importance of what we are doing and how we will not stop until we have justice!
