Performative activism is something which many people, especially teenagers who probably have good intentions, partake in, every time there is a spike in the discussion of human rights issues. A recent example of this is the way conversations around the Black Lives Matter movement, particularly following the murder of George Floyd, deescalated almost at the rate at which they began. With millions of shares, posts about the murders of far too many people of colour at the hands of police, lead to what may be labelled as a revolution of sorts. But this flood of statistics, as well as educational and helpful resources, did not last long. Within just a few days, everyone seemed to be back to posting sunsets and selfies again, showing that their immediate response to the movement maybe did not have such pure intentions.
Performative activism is also a prevalent topic when discussing corporations or brands. Companies such as Pretty Little Thing and Nike have both made attempts to show solidarity with the black community, but their intentions are unlikely to have been good. It is known that many companies produce items which “support” the prevalent discussions at the time, but this is not enough. This is almost always for monetary gain, as well as a positive reputation in communities. A slogan on a t-shirt or a pair of shoes is not enough to combat racism in any way, but rather, is a marketing ploy to generate more money, which goes into unethical and environmentally destructive companies.
Kate Hopwood
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