“When you Search a #Hashtag, it Feels Like You’re Searching for Death:” Black Twitter and Communication About Police Brutality Within the Black Community

Abstract

Despite heightened levels of scrutiny and enhanced media coverage, excessive force by law enforcement continues to result in the disproportionate death of Black civilians. As a central rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, mitigating instances of police brutality is of the utmost importance, and Twitter is a known mobilization and protest tool of the BLM movement. Yet, research surrounding police brutality specifically is sparse as police departments are not mandated to report cases of brutality, and the submission of body camera footage is often nonexistent or delayed. Fortunately, technological advancements, particularly the rise of Black Twitter and smartphones, have radically altered communication about information-seeking related to and knowledge circulation of police brutality. Using Critical Race Theory as the anchor, this qualitative study utilized a trauma-informed interview approach to better understand how Black Americans use Twitter to engage with the timely issue of police brutality. The following themes emerged from the analysis: (1) Remembering #PhilandoCastile, (2) Twitter: place for breaking news, (3) Twitter: organic connections in a Black-centered space, (4) Twitter: Firsthand Accounts/Authenticity, and (5) the dilemma of retweeting graphic images/videos. Findings from this study can be used to better understand how Blackness and social media intersect to impact various fields, including digital media, policing, mental health, and social movements.