Calling for justice with #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor: a case study of hashtag activism in the evolution of the black lives matter movement

Abstract

Taking a stage-based approach, before and after the release of the 15-h audio recording files of the grand jury’s inquiry on the Breonna Taylor case on October 2, 2020, this study examined the #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor Twitter networks. By employing multimethodology, including natural language processing, social network analysis, and qualitative textual analysis, I examined keys connectors of the two Twitter networks and investigated major themes conducting thematic analysis of network discourses and highly associated hashtags with the hashtag #JusticeforBreonnaTaylor. In both networks, several key stakeholders, such as Benjamin Crump, Danial Cameron, and Black women activists were identified as key connectors along with social activists and ordinary participants. Demanding justice to the case was the core agenda of the hashtag activism. The findings of the study revealed that the participants not only shared breaking news and important information but also organized protests and routinely tagged people to spread messages about the Taylor’s case on Twitter. The participants conversed major issues about the Taylor case and set the agendas for the next action, such as encouraging to take part in voting for the 2020 presidential election. The thematic analysis concurrently demonstrated that the network participants strongly demanded legal prosecution to the three Louisville cops that involved in the act of killing Breonna Taylor during the botched raid in her apartment.