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TIMES HAVE CHANGED AND NEWS AND INFORMATION CHANGES RAPIDLY.

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YOUNG PEOPLE ARE WHAT KEEPS THE MOVEMENT SO LIVELY.

SCAN: What are the pros and cons of these technologies?

resources for activists like myself. These tools are

Nowadays my generation, we are known as and

Black Lives Matter Atlanta: The pros of using social

responsible for sharing groundbreaking news stories,

sometimes referred to as the Joshua Generation, which

media is it’s a direct and instant in-your-face resource

current events and those stories mainstream media don’t

simply means we are ready to claim the promised land.

to get the word out and sound the alarm. In today’s

care to inform the public.

Groups such as Black Lives Matter, Fight For $15 and black student organizations ... we are the influential

world we all have camera phones. If you see something you believe is wrong or immoral you can easily whip

When utilizing social media, hashtags are vital to

ones who are fed up with politics, failed leaders, racism

out your smartphone and capture the moment and

further spreading our messages, which makes them

and white supremacy. We will lead massive impactful

with social media you make that video viral. The con

more direct and personal. It allows those who are

protests and shut downs. We aren’t politically correct

is that sometimes you can be jammed up in the court

interested in a certain topic or subject matter to locate

and don’t mind standing up to our oppressors or

of opinion. Often times what is captured on video can

and investigate your story. In terms of hacktivism, it

those who wronged up. Young people are what keeps

look bad because no one ever knows what happened

isn’t anything we support. It’s illegal. Not every activist

the movement so lively. They add a personal touch

leading up to the event, or if you have video of a protest

goes about things in effective ways.

to everything which makes direct actions much more intriguing. People seem to listen more to the youth.

or a direct action, someone’s reckless behavior may be caught on film exposing their face or identification, that

SCAN: Are young people more involved in activism

There was a time when it wasn’t normal for a child to

video can be later used to prosecute that accused.

nowadays, and if so, what are the different ways in

speak and represent themselves. Nowaday’s children are

which they contribute?

forced to defend and take care of themselves, because

BLMA: Activism used to be ran by our elders, they

of our poor leadership and because in some cases our

lead movements and direct actions. When you think of

parents have failed us.

SCAN: What is the place for things like hacktivism* and hashtivism in modern activism? BLMA: Technology and social media has played an integral role in gathering and disseminating information. Times have changed and news and information changes rapidly. Social media sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook and the internet as a whole are the key

protesting or boycotting your brain typically thinks of grandparents or civil right icons like Martin Luther King

It looks like the power of youth and their digital tools

Jr., John Lewis etc. They were non-violent and diplomatic

have been able to bring about positive changes in the

asking for justice and quality.

world. Just remember that a tool is only as strong as the person wielding it. *hacktivism is the act of hacking, or breaking into a computer system, for a politically or socially motivated purpose.

SCAN MAGAZINE // FALL 2016