What is virtue signaling?
What’s performative social media activism?
And how do I be an ally beyond a few retweets?
This is what you should know.
And thats greatthats solidarity.
First, an explanation on what virtue signaling is.
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Psychological studies reveal that a persons authentically experienced outrage is inherently interwoven with subconscious concerns about her reputation.
In other words, even genuine outrage can be strategic.
What does this mean for the posts in support of Black Lives Matter that are flooding your feed?
Theyre likely a form of virtue signaling, but that doesntnecessarilymean theyre put-on.
However, they must (all-caps MUST), be followed by action.
Otherwise, they remain hollow and performative.
For a few ideas to be an effective ally beyond virtue signaling, find expert-sanctioned ideas below.
activist Uzo Ngwu
What is The Missionary Sex Position?
You have to be there day in, and day out.
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Or are you writing a diatribe about how the riots are affecting you, personally?
An ally could practice what they preach by being intentional about whose words they share.
Are they just sharing whatever they find?
Or are they seeking Black voices in the movement to amplify and uplift?
With this particular cause, a lot of people want to see others paying it forward.
Accept criticism
Sometimes youre going to say or do the wrong thing, says Ngwu.
Even if someone comes to you in anger, dont immediately get defensive.
Reflect and ask yourself why they might be angry and what you could do to fix it.
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