The death of George Floyd on 25th May by a Minneapolis police officer has given rise to massive protests across the globe against police brutality and its underlying racism. While some marched on the streets, many took the protest online by using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
Many social media platforms have come forward to show their support in this time of grief.
Twitter changed its profile photo to a black screen, indicating their support to the cause. They have also tweeted many resources to inform their followers of the situation, and how they can help with the cause.
https://twitter.com/TwitterTogether/status/1266173332140904449
Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO, further donated $3 million to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp to help address the racial biases.
More #startsmall grants.
$3mm to Colin @Kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp to advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization to elevate the next generation of change leaders. /WGgKziHnwB
— jack (@jack) June 3, 2020
LinkedIn went a step further and gave their African American employees a chance to voice their opinion in the company’s various online accounts.
Being a strong ally begins with listening, so we are sharing stories to amplify perspectives from the Black community. /NlZWOf5AZ6 pic.twitter.com/VBRdw4K1qE
— LinkedIn (@LinkedIn) June 3, 2020
They also rolled out a statement in support of the Black Community.
Meanwhile, YouTube has pledged a donation of $1 million to fund organizations working in support of #BlackLivesMatter.
We stand in solidarity against racism and violence. When members of our community hurt, we all hurt. We’re pledging $1M in support of efforts to address social injustice.
— YouTube (@YouTube) May 30, 2020
Reports had been coming in from TikTok that posts with #George Floyd and #BlackLivesMatter were receiving zero views. TikTok clarified the issue by saying that the problem was a technical one and that it is being fixed. They also emphasized that they were in support of the cause and are not trying to suppress discussions regarding police brutality or racism.
@tiktok To our community…
The company stated, “We fully acknowledge our responsibility to not simply wish for and talk about the importance of diversity on our platform, but to actively promote and protect it.”
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TikTok confirmed that posts with #BlackLivesMatter have been viewed more than 2 billion times so far. The company further revealed that they were giving away $3 million out of the $250 million COVID-19 relief fund for the cause. They added that they would be allocating another $1 million to fight against racial inequality and injustice.
@tiktok To our community, a message from our CEO…
Mark Zuckerberg made a personal post outlining his opinions on the issues.
The pain of the last week reminds us how far our country has to go to give every person the freedom to live with dignity…
Posted by Mark Zuckerberg on Sunday, May 31, 2020
Facebook’s official page has changed its profile picture to a black and white screen showing solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The company has also pledged a whopping amount of $10 million to groups dedicated to the cause.
#BlackLivesMatter ✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻
Posted by Facebook App on Monday, June 1, 2020
Instagram changed its profile in support of the protestors. The company started a new hashtag with #ShareBlackStories.
Evan Spiegel, Snapchat CEO rolled out an internal memo and shared his views. He further called to create a commission that will address racial inequality, injustice, and tax reform, according to The Information.
We condemn racism. We must embrace profound change. It starts with advocating for creating more opportunity, and for living the American values of freedom, equality and justice for all.
Our CEO Evan's memo to our team: /r57qC9yh7L
— Snapchat (@Snapchat) June 1, 2020
His memo explained, “Private philanthropy can patch holes, or accelerate progress, but it alone cannot cross the deep and wide chasm of injustice. We must cross that chasm together as a united nation. United in the striving for freedom, equality, and justice for all.”
Pinterest released their intentions to improve their content on tolerance, racial sensitivity, and justice. The company has also pledged stocks worth approximately $50,000 to groups working to fight against racial injustice. They have further made a commitment of $250,000 as a relief to local businesses affected by the protests. The company additionally allocated $750,000 to groups that work for the same.
We want to express not only our solidarity but also our commitment to taking action. Read the note from Ben, our CEO: /qH46u0WU65 pic.twitter.com/AZ31kb3BJZ
— Pinterest (@Pinterest) June 3, 2020
Google has also come to the frontline and pledged a total of $12 million for the cause. The company has further raised $2.5 million through internal donations.
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Tim Cook, Apple CEO, shared his views through a memo. Cook is committed to matching his employees’ donations to groups supporting racial equality.
Bloomberg reported, “The iPhone maker will also offer a two-for-one match for employee donations in the month of June.”
Satya Nadella, Microsoft CEO, also voiced his support for the cause. The company has provided its African American staff its official media pages to share their perspectives.
There is no place for hate and racism in our society. Empathy and shared understanding are a start, but we must do more. I stand with the Black and African American community and we are committed to building on this work in our company and in our communities. /WaEuhRqBho
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) June 1, 2020
Moz, SEO tech company, has also come forward in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter and released its statement.
Our Silence Ends Now: #BlackLivesMatter /wqMNpImFdS
— Moz (@Moz) June 2, 2020
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