By Peyton Dickerson, Online Editor-In-Chief

This past June, while protests began to pop up nationwide after the death of George Floyd, I found myself having a thought-provoking conversation.

I was sitting at the register at work, observing the different customers who filtered in and out throughout the day. Some wore Black Lives Matter shirts. Some wore Blue Lives Matter shirts. 

A young tourist came in, wearing an uneasy look on his face. I asked him how his day had been going, and he let out a stressful sigh.

He told me he was tired of seeing his Instagram feed filled with politics, because he didn’t know where he stood on the “whole Black Lives Matter subject.”

He explained that all of the posts about police brutality, systemic racism and other injustices made him uncomfortable.

After I had this conversation, I thought about something: Imagine how uncomfortable Black people have been all these years, watching their loved ones lose their lives to an unjust system, knowing that in too many instances their killers are free to sit at home and eat dinner with their families. 

Knowing that 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse can gun down protesters in the name of self-defense with an illegally owned firearm and be praised, but 12-year-old Tamir Rice can’t carry a toy gun without being shot.

Uncomfortable is an understatement.

Our generation is known for constantly being glued to a screen, and in times of injustice, we can use our technology to spread awareness about these situations. People’s comfort has to be disrupted in order for justice to be served.

Late Congressman John Lewis, an advocate for youth using social media to promote change, posted a tweet in June of 2016 stating “Sometimes you have to get in the way. You have to make some noise by speaking up and speaking out against injustice & inaction #goodtrouble.”

Lewis inspired many to use technology to advocate for change with his hashtag and mantra “good trouble,” serving almost as a blueprint for the digital activism that surrounds us today.

I’m sure you’ve witnessed posts being shared on Instagram stories, links to petitions to be signed and information about protests being organized.

Most of us are also on TikTok, which has a unique way of banding together people with similar interests. Because of the app’s algorithm, you can use it to gain thousands of signatures on a petition rapidly.

Social media is a quick and efficient way to get people talking about these subjects, but it’s about what you DO with the information that counts.

One particular Instagram story post that stood out to me was from the account @soyouwanttotalkabout, concerning white privilege. The post explained what exactly white privilege is, and how to recognize it.

These are more than just posts. These are about educating yourself on things that you might not have realized were there, such as white privilege, and how to understand that you will never face certain struggles because of your skin color.

You can also find posts that share ways to demand justice for victims of police brutality by texting or calling – or posts that share what challenges law enforcement officers say they face and how to “back the blue.”

Keep talking about Black Lives Matter. Keep signing petitions. Keep sharing those Instagram or TikTok posts. Use social media to your advantage – make this is a movement, not a moment. 

If using your voice makes people uncomfortable, they’ll have to deal with it.

As you begin your own deeper research, I’m going to provide two links to websites explaining how to be a better Black Lives Matter ally – they include external links to places to donate, books to read and podcasts to listen to so you can learn more about the issues. The second link  lists different petitions to help the BLM movement.

So before you move your thumbs to type “all lives matter” in the comment section, use them to sign a petition or send a text demanding justice or learn more about the issue. Without justice, there is no peace.

How to be a better Black Lives Matter ally:

https://www.greatbigstory.com/guides/how-to-become-a-better-black-lives-matter-ally

12 petitions to help the Black Lives Matter movement:

https://www.purewow.com/news/petitions-black-lives-matter

Senior Peyton Dickerson can be reached at 21dickersonpe28@daretolearn.org