A love letter to Black people or anti‐white propaganda? Black (non‐Indigenous) people reflections on the role of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in Australia

Abstract

Abstract#BlackLivesMatter activism is a contemporaneous manifestation of a centuries‐old resistance against anti‐Black racism. This paper analyses diverse perceptions about the #BlackLivesMatter movement's purpose, significance and potential utility in the Australian context. Our analysis of the #BlackLivesMatter highlights how the movement harnessed the power of social media to deploy counternarratives to white supremacy on a global scale through sharing stories of anti‐Black discrimination and making visible the hidden and subtle conditions, practices and attitudes that embolden racial violence. Focussing on Black non‐Indigenous people's understandings of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in Australia, findings reveal that the movement improved racial discourse, raised awareness about the experiences of Black people in Australia and challenged the ‘superdiversity‐ multicultural‐ melting pot’ narrative that often obscures the insidious ways in which white supremacy produces and sustains anti‐Black, colour‐blind everyday racisms. Scepticism about the movement was also raised about the very real risk of the movement being “co‐opted” by whiteness in an attempt to capitalise on its popularity.