shanquella robinson video twitter.
.jpeg)
We’ve relied on the connections that we have in Black communities to spread the word of issues that are of importance to us for centuries,” said Dr. Meredith Clark, an associate professor of journalism and communication studies at Northeastern University who researches Black Twitter and Black resistance online. “It reaffirms something that we say a lot – ‘We all we got’ – and this, to me, is an example of what that looks like in a news media context.”
From Ida B. Wells’ investigations of lynchings in the South to the Black press’ role in unearthing the truth about the killing of Emmett Till, Black media outlets have historically been vital sources of information about violence against Black people, particularly when mainstream media have disregarded their stories through systemic bias and racism.
“That’s where we could go and send out our messages,” said Nicole Carr, a journalist at ProPublica and professor at Morehouse College who teaches a social justice journalism course.
More recently, especially over the past decade, social media has become a popular tool for gathering and sharing information related to social and racial justice. It is where the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was born in 2013 and where activists, scholars and others have strategically used hashtags and other messages to quickly disseminate information to the general public.
“In matters of social justice, particularly when they relate to our community, we provide through those platforms the leads that are necessary to make mainstream outlets pay attention,” Carr said. She added that for journalists, in particular, social media can provide a jumping-off point for their coverage. Journalists might see a claim on social media and decide to follow up with a public records request to see if there is any validity to it. Donate
Home
We’re an independent, nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. Read our story.
Justice
‘We all we got’: How Black people online steered the spotlight to Shanquella Robinson’s death
Black social media has often taken the lead in raising public consciousness when mainstream outlets overlook the death or disappearance of Black women.
Photo collage of a black person's hand holding a phone. On the screen, an image of Shanquella Robinson is seen. Likes and retweet icons float about the background.
(RENA LI FOR THE 19TH)
By
Candice Norwood, Rebekah Barber
Published
December 2, 2022, 11:20 a.m. CT
Share
Shanquella Robinson’s death could have easily fallen through the cracks. In the first two weeks after the 25-year-old from North Carolina was pronounced dead during a group vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, her story was limited to a few local news reports. It appeared that her death would be treated like those of many other Black women and girls – with cursory, if any, attention from the news media. But then, video of a woman being beaten emerged, and the news of her death went viral.
One tweet by North Carolina blogger Mina Lo with the words, “Rest in Power Shanquella Robinson” has garnered more than 50,000 likes and nearly 17,000 retweets. National news organizations, including CNN and the New York Times, have since picked up Robinson’s story, highlighting the power and potential of Black media platforms. From the killing of Lauren Smith-Fields last year to Robinson last month, Black people online have been a driving force behind elevating stories about missing and murdered Black women and girls in the absence of mainstream media.
Black women and girls face high rates of intimate partner violence, sexual assault and homicide. However, their cases are rarely treated with urgency. Robinson’s case stands out for the level of attention it received due to not only her family’s advocacy, but also the Black-owned blogs and social media accounts that recirculated the video and emerging details, pushing it into the view of a wider audience.We all we got’: How Black people online steered the spotlight to Shanquella Robinson’s death.