Social medias role in

combating systemic
racism

People in today’s society often turn a blind eye to systemic

racism until the media gets involved and makes it a global
affair.
 Functionalism

This theory can be used to explain how society has been

influenced to continue to let the justice system mistreat
minorities as functionalism explains how groups of people
interact and come together to work as a team and influence
each other over time and can explain how behaviour can
continue through generations, mainly negative.
 Arguments

Social media creates an accessible platform for activism

Social media provides easily accessible resources to help people educate themselves
on racism and its impacts

Social media allows people who don't normally have a voice to share their stories
about discrimination and acts of racism
Social media allows people who don't normally
have a voice to share their stories about
discrimination and acts of racism

Many people have taken to social media to make their voice

heard as they are more likely to gather a group to gain attention
(Pena, 2020).
Before social media minorities were not given a chance to have
their stories published. However, with social media they are
able to take control and use a platform to share their story
with millions of people (Hoque, 2021). This exposure helps
share lived experiences and gives people a different
perspective to situations.

something as simple as a hashtag can generate a huge

movement because of the accessibility social media has.
(Olson, 2021
23% of users in U.S. say
social media led them to
change views on an issue
(Anderson, 2016)

From 2013 to 2016

#BlackLivesMatter made
up 12% of tweets
(Anderson, 2016).
 Social media provides easily accessible resources
to help people educate themselves on racism and
its impacts

Social media is a powerful tool for both instructional and promotional use, and is changing how people
interact with one another, gather information, and how businesses and governments share
information. (Queen's University, 2020)

With social media and the internet, it is easier than ever to search for information. By simply searching Black Lives
Matter google provides you with 1,290,000,000 search results.

Before social media people often got away with saying they were unaware of what was going on in the
world, or were unaware of the impact of their actions. However, with the accessibility of social media it is
inexcusable to simply not know as information is a click away.
5.19 billion people
use mobile phones
(Kemp, 2020)
Social media creates an accessible
platform for activism

Social media allows those often excluded from spaces and those who are privileged, to engage
in public and social debate (Khiry, 2020). It also influences others to participate to show their
support and to post their own activism.

It also influences others to participate to show their support and to post their own activism by equalizing the
playing field. it allows people without any professional backgrounds access to politicians, world leaders, and
other decision-makers can get their attention within seconds (KHIRY, 2020).
 #BLM has 9.1 million
posts on instagram

There are 3.80 billion

social media users in 2020
(Kemp, 2020)
 Works Cited

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PERVASIVE BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM:
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AONE&xid=d4ea2be1

Boen, C. E., Graetz, N., Olson, H., Ansari-Thomas, Z., Bixby, L., Schut, R. A., & Lee, H. (2022). Early
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u=ko_k12hs_d73&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=8aa906cf

Hadfield, G. K. (2000). The price of law: how the market for lawyers distorts the justice system.
Michigan Law Review, 98(4), 953. https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A64706351/AONE?
u=ko_k12hs_d73&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=290a3e92

Langan, P. A. (1994). No racism in the justice system. Public Interest, (117), 48+.
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A16354776/AONE?u=ko_k12hs_d73&sid=bookmark-
AONE&xid=b2757014

Mettallic, N. (2020). NEW BRUNSWICK NEEDS A PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO SYSTEMIC RACISM
IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM: NOVA SCOTIA SHOWS WHY. Journal of New Brunswick Studies/Revue
d’etudes sur le Nouveau-Brunswick [JNBS/RENB], 12(1), 7+.
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