NPR

Majority Of Black Americans Value Social Media For Amplifying Lesser-Known Issues

Public attitudes about social media's impact on political and civic engagement differ according to race and ethnicity, a recent study by the Pew Research Center finds.
A demonstrator holds a "Black Lives Matter" sign while protesting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump in 2016. The hashtag started five years ago and is an "archetypal" example of a hashtag tied to political issues or causes.

Five years ago, when George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting death of an unarmed 17-year-old named Trayvon Martin, the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter lit up the social media universe and ignited powerful dialogue around racial injustice and police brutality.

from the Pew Research Center shows that the hashtag remains relevant — it's used an average of about 17,000 times a day.

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