The death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer is not the first such incident to cause Michiganders take to the streets. But what’s different this time? And why do so many white people felt moved to join in for Black Lives Matter this year? The answer has a lot of parts, but that little screen in your pocket is probably part of it.
Cliff Lampe is a professor at the University of Michigan's School of Information. He researches, among other things, how social media interfaces with social change. Stateside talked to him about how social platforms have shaped the conversation and perception of the ongoing protests.