Photo: Rena Schild / Shutterstock
Diversify your feed.
By Alice Kelly — Written on Jun 04, 2020
The recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery — among the thousands of others who have been killed unlawfully by police — are painful reminders of the system of oppression that exists in the American justice system.
Racial injustice silences the voices of the oppressed and ignores their needs. Though these deaths are needless, they have reignited important conversations about white supremacy and systemic racism across the globe.
If you’ve been on any social media platform in recent days, your feed is probably flooded with allied support and information on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Staying informed on issues of racial injustice is a moral obligation, and listening to and learning from People of Color is the best way you can seek to become actively anti-racist. It's important that we don’t let this conversation die until real changes are made in governments and societies, at home and abroad.
Instagram is used by millions of people each day, which means there's no excuse to stay silent, uneducated, and uninformed in 2020.
Here are 15 anti-racist activists to add to your Instagram feed.
Tune into these activists for resources and information on how you can be anti-racist. Diversifying your feed, and point of view, is as easy as tapping a button.
1. Ijeoma Oluo (@ijeomaoluo)
Ijeoma Oluo is the writer behind the bestselling So You Want To Talk About Race, and has quickly become one of our generation’s most powerful speakers across her social media and in her work. Follow her for links to her latest articles and other informative posts.
2. Shaun King (@shaunking)
Shaun King is a civil rights activist and founder of Real Justice PAC. He was one of the earliest activists to expose the murder of George Floyd, and has flooded his feed with links to information and helpful organizations ever since.
3. Dani Coke (@ohhappydani)
This page is run by an artist who creates doodles that disseminate positive education and affirmations of hope and justice. Her posts are not only pleasing on the eye, but call attention to privilege and racism.
4. Check Your Privilege (@ckyourprivilege)
This is a great page for non-black people to help them stay constantly aware of their own role in systemic racism. Check Your Privilege often reposts helpful resources and even offer coaching to understand privilege.
5. Dr. Yusef Salaam (@dr.yusefsalaam)
Salaam is one of the Exonerated Five who was wrongfully convicted of attacking a woman in Central Park in 1989 when he was just 15 years old. Since then, he has had a powerful role in highlighting the failings of and racism in the criminal justice system.
6. Felicia Leatherwood (@lovingyourhair)
Celebrity hairstylist, Felicia Leatherwood, often posts about how traditional beauty standards oppress black women. She makes a meaningful contribution to conversations around cultural appropriation.
7. Amandla Stenberg (@amandlastenberg)
Stenberg shot to fame as an actor in The Hunger Games and, later, The Hate U Give. As a non-binary person of color, they advocate for the right of LGBTQ People of Color and uses their Instagram to amply the voices of black activists.
8. Ericka Hart (@ihartericka)
Harte advocates for justice reform and racial equality. She's a breast cancer survivor and previously worked in the Peace Corps as a sexual educator and HIV/AIDs volunteer.
9. Ethel’s Club (@ethelsclub)
Ethel’s Club was originally established to focus on the wellness and mental health of People of Color. It's an important account for all races to see the collective grieving that’s happening in the Black community due to centuries of injustice.
10. Rachel Cargle (@rachel.cargle)
Cargle is a writer and activist who offers a variety of invaluable resources on her social media. She works to dismantle systemic racism by highlighting the importance of unlearning behaviors that disenfranchise black people.
11. Layla F. Saad (@laylafsaad)
The author of White Supremacy and Me, and the co-host of the Good Ancestor podcast, Saad is responsible for a lot of informative discussions around privilege and racism. Her account and work is a no-nonsense direct challenge to white supremacy.
12. Gem Nwanne (@urdoinggreat)
Nwanne speaks to the TikTok generation across her social media platforms with snappy videos that capture the experience of blackness in 2020. She's a vocal and inspiring Leftist who challenges conservative ideology in her work.
13. Ebony Janice (@ebonyjanice)
Janice is a womanist, scholar, and activist who set up the Black Girl Mixtape, an online learning institute that unites women of color behind a common cause of intersectional equality. Her posts are everything from skincare tips to a must-read book list.
14. Ibram X. Kendi (@ibramxk)
Kendi is a historian who teaches at the American University. His research and work exposes the racist ideology that most American laws were founded on. His social media calls for a complete revamp of our legal system to include the rights and needs of minorities.
15. Ava DuVernay (@ava)
DuVernay is the award-winning director behind 13th, When They See Us, Selma, and many more films and documentaries that highlight a history of racial injustice in America.
Her social media features numerous resources for how to help this cause as she attempts to bridge the gap between being affected by her work and actually progressing after watching.
Alice Kelly is a writer with a passion for lifestyle, entertainment, and trending topics.