Update: I’ve changed my paradigm shift since my last blog entry- I felt that I wasn’t as passionate about my earlier ideas than I am about my current topic – but the overarching structure of my analysis/TED presentation is still the same. As always, feedback and constructive criticism would be dope.

Paradigm Shift: How improvements in technology (particularly with mobile devices and social media networks) have increased awareness social injustice and thus, become catalysts for social and political reform

Disclaimer: The following is a very rough outline of my TED talk. It will cover a few basic sections and preview some of my more nuanced, specific points, though it will not go into further detail than that. Outline is subject to edits and modifications. Viewer discretion advised.

Introduction

• Provide historical context – examples of racial injustice and racially charged crimes
• Mention Rodney King and LA riots; significant example of crime during post Civil Rights era, noticed by whole country
• Discuss “gap in history between 1992 and 2011 (death of Trayvon Martin)
• Why does this gap exist?
  • What happened during this period that made us blind to these unfair practices? Why did it resurface?
• Answer: lack in technology
  • Rodney King’s death received national attention because of protests and riots that followed from his death
  • Other cases, which were just as sadistic, did not receive media attention because there was no significant backlash/violent response
    • People didn’t care so they turned a blind eye

Improvements in Mobile Technology

• Use of mobile devices has exponentially increased in last 5-7 years
• 80 percent of internet users own a smartphone
• In 2011, 35 percent of American adults owned a smartphone; that number has risen to 64 percent in the past few years
• Similarly, 58% of Adults in the US have a facebook profile and 70 percent of millennials use snapchat (facebook and snapchat are viewed as two of the strongest social media platforms to film and share noteworthy events, including racial crimes)
• Having these social networks allows citizens to broadcast/publicize new information as well as view other people’s new information (raise awareness of issues)

Note: for the proliferation and documentation sections, I will probably focus specifically on one particular case due to time constraints. If you think this does or doesn’t make sense, please let me know in the comments (I’m unsure on how I want to present these two ideas so feedback would be great here)

Proliferation

• news regarding police brutality and injustice spreads rapidly on social media
• phones have become a critical tie to life, particularly in lower socio-economic communities that are smart phone dependent (only access to high-broadband internet connection is through smartphone)
  • Most instances of racial injustices occur in poorer, urbanized communities – phone has become tool to disseminate information and knowledge about acts of injustice
• Starting in 2011 (approximately), the internet became forum to facilitate discussion of social issues, largely with Trayvon Martin case
  • Again, incited by protests and assemblies against officer who shot Martin, George Zimmerman
  • However, with the backing of social media efforts, case reached a national stage
• The petition to find justice for Trayvon on change.org received 2.2 million signatures, the most in their history
• Similarly, when Martin was killed, his name was retweeted 2 million times to raise awareness about his death
• This series of events started a new movement
  • same practice was applied to other incidents as well, including Michael Brown and Tamir Rice

Documentation

• Phones and other mobile electronics have also been employed to videotape acts of injustice or improper police work
• Earliest incident in recent history is Eric Garner case
• Local man, Ramsey Orta, filmed Garner as he was choked about by police officers for illegally selling cigarettes
• His case immediately gained traction in the online world thanks to this tape
  • Very difficult to argue with video evidence (far more difficult than cases of he said/ she said)
  • Seeing video galvanized people to take action and actualize reform
• There was universal cry to justice on social media
• People took photos of themselves protesting (in places like Grand Central Station) and formed community to address his wrongful death, as well as others (echo effect)
• Analytics at Topsy found that Eric Garner hastags were retweeted at a rate of 69,000 posts/per following his death
• As WSJ states, hastags were “centerpiece of activism” in bringing case to light

Where do we go from here?

• Legislation is already in place to prevent further crimes of this nature
  • Some police officers wear body cams while on duty to ensure proper enforcement of law
  • Police also have to report all deaths that occurred during arrest
  • Regulations and reforms in racial profiling (end of racial profiling act)
  • In cases of officer involved shootings, special prosecutor must be available to conduct probable cause hearing open to public (police departments must comply with this to receive federal funding)
    • Passed in response to Michael Brown Case, allowed witness who was already discredited by FBI to testify
• Understanding police-civilian dynamic: there have certainly been cases of racial injustice spurred by improper training/hiring of police officers, though majority of police are good people
• Criminologists believe cop protocols and law enforcement are at its most professional levels in history (anecdote: my friends’ parents are great cops and great people, it’s unfair to label all cops as unfit for duty)
• Talk about importance of citizens to realize that, just because police brutality seems to dominate headlines and sphere of information, media coverage is not proportional to reality (it’s kinda boring to talk about good cops who’re just doing their jobs)

Side Note: I chose not to provide images (I don’t have all of them yet, but I do have some) because I want to have a strong “shock factor” during my presentation.