Here at RRP, we know that all Black lives matter. We feel it’s important to highlight the true catalyst of this movement, #BlackLivesMatter, and how they have been a key player in making change since their start in 2013. RRP was inspired by the work that Black Lives Matter (BLM) created, and our mission is to connect the past Civil Rights Movement to the current movement.
However, there is a lot of misinformation and disinformation on #BlackLivesMatter. RRP has made a commitment to provide our readers with the hard history, but we also are committed to helping our audience understand the importance of activism and engaging in civic duties. BLM is an exemplary group, and in our quest to teach the importance of activism, it would be contradictory if we didn’t talk about BLM.
First, this is Black Lives Matter:
Black Lives Matter mission statement:
“We are expansive. We are a collective of liberators who believe in an inclusive and spacious movement. We also believe that in order to win and bring as many people with us along the way, we must move beyond the narrow nationalism that is all too prevalent in Black communities. We must ensure we are building a movement that brings all of us to the front.
We affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. Our network centers those who have been marginalized within Black liberation movements.
We are working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically targeted for demise.
We affirm our humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.
The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.”
They started as a hashtag that has changed the world. Trayvon Martin was murdered, and in response #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is an organization that also spans across the globe and has roots in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Their mission is to “eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” Black Lives Matter is focused on “creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.” It is without a question that BLM is an integral piece to the expansive puzzle of dismantling white supremacy and uplifting all Black communities.
What is Disinformation and Misinformation:
Educating yourself is something that everyone can do. Yet, it can be increasingly difficult to do so when there is misinformation and disinformation all around us in mainstream media. In our last post, “Calling Out Media Misinformation - Why it matters and ways to stop the spread,” we discussed how to spot misinformation and how to slow the spread of it as well. What we didn’t address was the difference between “misinformation” and “disinformation.” Misinformation is when there is false information that is not intended to promote malice, but it does lead the audience in a different direction away from the truth. Disinformation is much more dangerous to the audience as it often comes in the form of false information in government propaganda, with the intention to spread malice and deceit. Black Lives Matter have their own disinformation tracker that helps them monitor false claims that are dangerous to the community and about the movement. If you see something that is considered misinformation or disinformation on a media platform regarding the movement, there is a good source to use.
This is Not Black Lives Matter:
Like we said before, misinformation and disinformation is everywhere and it’s our job to be careful in what we consume. In terms of Black Lives Matter, we want to reiterate what BLM is by showing what it is not.
Following the recent murder of George Floyd, protests popped up all over our nation. In more rural (and often predominantly white) counties, local neighborhood Facebook pages and Nextdoor circles became flooded with warnings about Antifa protesters who were going to be bused into their local communities, loot and burn businesses to the ground, and in some cases wreak havoc. Trump didn’t help kill this rumor…
He recently announced that he planned to designate Antifa as a terrorist organization.
U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr said violence at the riots was the work of “far-left extremist groups using antifa-like tactics.” President Donald Trump tweeted that “It’s ANTIFA and the Radical Left. Don’t lay the blame on others!”
Most of the BLM protests were not violent. Those that did become violent were more often than not caused by outside groups unrelated to BLM. Looting, rioting, and other destructive behavior is not what BLM is and it is not in line with their core values. However, the media is often found portraying the movement in a specific way.
A study conducted by FiveThiryEight shows that in a review of “777 news articles from 20 different newsrooms in Texas… press reports were more likely to emphasize the disruption caused by protests and less likely to emphasize legitimate political grievances, compared to reports of protests about other issues like health and immigration. And the coverage of protests against anti-black racism was also more likely to rely on official sources rather than protestors’ perspectives.”
These findings are important. Misinformation from online agitators is spiking surrounding the murder of George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, and the recent protests. It’s also important to make the connection between the misinformation of the global pandemic and the falsehoods surrounding the spread of the virus. Misinformation and disinformation on the BLM movement is now a part of this current tsunami of falsehoods.
Disinformation, misinformation, and withholding valuable information can deeply impact the public's perspective on the truth and their ability to unbiasedly decide their stance on these issues.
Please check out the Black Lives Matter website to learn more about the movement and ways to get involved.
Sources:
"Protest misinformation is riding on the success of pandemic hoaxes," by Joan Donovanarchive page
"In Klamath Falls, Oregon, victory declared over antifa, which never showed up," By Brandy Zadrozny and Ben Collins
"You are probably spreading misinformation. Here’s how to stop," By Geoffrey A. Fowler
"Media Coverage Of Black Lives Matter Had Fallen During The Trump Era — Until Now," By Dhrumil Mehta
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