Black Americans Led Historic Nationwide Protests

The video of George Floyd’s death in May 2020, at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, spurred an increase in protests by the Black Lives Matter movement. What researchers at Northeastern University say ultimately led to what is considered the largest mass mobilization in the nation’s history was the sharing of personal experiences with racism on social media by Black Americans.

A new book, “Black Networks Matter,” co-authored by Northeastern professor David Lazer, details how the social justice movement utilized technology and networks to motivate over 10 million people to rally and demand justice for Black victims of racism and police killings. The research relies on survey data from 5,000 protesters and 100,000 non-protesters.

A notable aspect of the protests was the significant participation of non-Black individuals, a departure from previous civil rights demonstrations. Researchers found that interracial connections were crucial in mobilizing this non-Black participation, particularly among those who had never participated in a protest against racism or police violence. These connections ranged from relationships with friends, neighbors, relatives, or co-workers who are Black, to exposure to accounts of racism on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Reddit.

Co-author Matthew Simonson, a professor at Hebrew University, notes that the protests involved millions of people demonstrating on behalf of others, rather than for their own hardships. The data, gathered from the COVID States Project, a nationwide online survey co-directed by Lazer, revealed that 52% of protesters identified as white, while Black people comprised 20% of participants, exceeding their share of the overall population. The survey also indicated that 19% of protesters were Republicans, including Trump supporters and conservatives.

The research indicates that the summer 2020 protests were more racially diverse than the civil rights movement of the 1960s, which involved more formal organizing. Simonson suggests that the legacy of integration from the earlier movement helped lay the groundwork for the Black Lives Matter protests.

Findings also showed that white individuals living in ZIP codes with fewer Black residents were less likely to participate in protests compared to those living in more integrated communities. Researchers concluded that the sharing of stories by Black individuals about experiencing racism or police violence was a significant factor in raising awareness and motivating non-Black people to protest.

While boredom related to COVID-19 lockdowns may have influenced some participation, fear of infection deterred others. Studies estimate that between 4.5% and 6% of the American population attended Black Lives Matter protests, a statistic described as “unprecedented.”

Lazer cautions that the decline of platforms like Twitter and changes by Facebook and Instagram to limit political content could hinder the emergence of future protest movements.

The other co-authors of “Black Networks Matter” are Ray Block Jr. of Pennsylvania State University; James N. Druckman of the University of Rochester; and Katherine Ognyanova of Rutgers University.