Using Social Media for Social Justice

I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can use my platform, small as it may be, for good.

I look for good excuses to weave messages of equity and justice into what my creative agency posts, from cultural observances, to nonprofits we support, to interesting readings that feel relevant.

Still, I have to admit that the whole concept of “using my platform” for justice sometimes feels pretty abstract.

As we move through a moment in our history that is, frankly, really harrowing, there are real people figuring out how to do exactly that. So, I’d like to offer a couple of examples who may not seem to have much in common on the surface.

Ms. Rachel puts it all out there for Gaza

I’ll be honest: my 4-year-old is… fine with Ms. Rachel. When I put her show on, he likes it well enough, but he can take it or leave it. He’s not a super-obsessed fan.

I, however, think Ms. Rachel is a complete badass.

For months on end, we’ve seen her sharing stories of children from Gaza on Instagram. At any given moment, you’ll find posts where she pleads for Gazan children, puts faces to their stories, and encourages others to speak out about the genocide.

She doesn’t pull punches, but she also leads with kindness. She points out that silence is complicity, but always emphasizes that it’s never too late to say something. She has gone on record with the Washington Post as saying:

“Speaking out for kids in this situation is more important than my career.”

She’s raising awareness, teaching compassion, and fundraising for Gazan kids and the people who are on the ground helping them. She’s using her platform bravely to promote peace, and it absolutely rules.

Does advancing social justice through your social platform really matter?

I know what you’re thinking: “Okay, but Ms. Rachel is a big deal; she has millions of followers. Is it even worth doing when I have a smaller audience?”

For an example on a level that’s perhaps easier to wrap our brains around: Simone Seol is a teacher who, as she puts it, teaches marketing “in a way that honors truth, relationship, and the complexity of being human.” (do I have a liiiiittle bit of a professional crush on her? Probably yes 😉)

Simone recently used her email list to fundraise for a lawyer, Mohamed, who runs the Bayader Youth Team. The Bayader Team is a group of humans in Gaza who offer support for Gazans and Palestinians with things like water distribution, food and supplies, and recreational support for children. And, apparently, Mohamed works tirelessly at all of this, and has never asked for help. Simone noted that his friends had to start this fundraiser without telling him.

Again, Simone probably casts a wider net than a lot of us, but her act was beautifully simple: she emailed her list, told Mohamed’s story, and offered her own content playbooks and tip sheets as an incentive to donate.

Her message reached folks who would have otherwise never learned about Mohamed or what the Bayader Youth Team is doing for people in Gaza – including me – and gathered thousands in donations.

These are two people, with very different audiences, who have a shared goal of promoting peace. Their contributions are on different levels, but they’ve both made an impact.

If you think your words or your platform don’t matter, remember: if you change just one mind, or make even one person aware of an issue, that’s one more person who’s ready to help, and ready to fight alongside you.