The summer of 2020 brought with it a lot of long-overdue conversations. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, social media took on a crucial role in educating folks about the social injustices the Black community faces. During this time, I was introduced to several Instagram accounts that are dedicated to educating the public on social issues and movements that need attention. These are all issues we need to educate ourselves on to help create an environment where everyone is and feels safe, seen, and valued.
- @soyouwanttotalkabout
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This Instagram account is dedicated to breaking down problems with images presented in a slideshow form. They cite their sources and keep their ‘slides’ simple and clean so nothing distracts from the information they provide. This account is excellent if you don’t like reading articles or watching the news because they provide the basic building blocks for you to be aware of the subject at hand in an easy-to-consume way.
- @chnge
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I have so much admiration for this account. Not only are they a sustainable and ethical fashion brand, but they also share extremely relevant information about social issues in the United States and in countries that don’t get as much media coverage. They also donate 50% of their net profit to several organizations that help marginalized communities. They have the organizations they donate to linked here if you’d like to contribute.
- @theconsciouskid
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This account provides tools for parents to educate their children on racial equity. I appreciate this account because it teaches parents how to have conversations about race with their young children. They provide excellent resources for teachers to build inclusive classrooms and I think this is more crucial than ever during these times.
- @thefakepan
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I came across this account after @chnge reposted some art to share the stories of those whose lives were lost at the hands of the police. This account has recently been dedicated to informing the public about racial injustices through doodles and comic strip storytelling. I particularly like this account because I am learning the stories of those whose names are not trending anymore and still have not received justice.
It’s okay not to have an opinion on something you are not well-educated on! I think now more than ever we are forced to pick a side when it comes to every single little thing (whether it’s political or not) before we have all of the facts. The information you learn from these accounts may still not even be enough to form an opinion, but that is not what these accounts are forcing you to do; they provide a stepping stone to further educate and understand. Learning about these issues rather than experiencing them is a privilege that we all take for granted.