[Air-L] A good way to respond to a query from a student about activism?

[Sarah Ann Oates]

Dear AOIRers,

I wanted to ask this great list a question for our times. See the message
below from a student I taught in an online social media and society course,
in which we had a module on #BlackLivesMatter. Can you think of a better
way to respond than just with a list of campus groups and a note that I was
impressed that she wanted to commit to activism for her beliefs? That's
what I did, but I'd like to help a bit more because it's heartening both to
see students wanting to put their scholarship into action. Thanks in
advance. BTW, I asked her if I could ask the list and she said that was
great.

Here is her message:

As a young black woman, I am struggling to cope with all that is happening
in our country right now. Looking at social media I am further saddened to
see images of Black men being murdered and their deaths reposted and
reposted for all to see. I fear people will become desensitized to these
images and names like George Floyd will just become another hashtag and
forgotten victim of a corrupt system.

*... I was wondering if you had any advice or resources for action beyond
social media. I know the Black Lives Matter module discussed the sort of
"wind tunnels" we create where like-minded people swirl ideas among mutual
followers, but little action is taken beyond likes and retweets. I want to
do something that goes beyond liking a post or ranting about it on Twitter.
If you have any ideas or resources regarding the potential to leverage
social media for positive social change I'd love to learn more about them!*

Sarah Oates
Professor and Senior Scholar
Philip Merrill College of Journalism
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20457
Email: soates at umd.edu
Phone: 301 455 2332
www.media-politics.com
Twitter: @media_politics

*Support the UMD Student Crisis Fund
<https://giving.umd.edu/giving/showPage.php?name=crisis-funding> today. *