#BlackLivesMatter: A content analysis of top engineering institutions’ responses to social-political activism

As members of both an educational institution and the society at large, it's safe to assume that what happens to Black people in society directly impacts what happens to Black engineering students. Due to a turn of events surrounding Black Americans encounters with law enforcement, Black Lives Matter (BLM) --a movement of social-political activism that emerged in 2013-- has seen a burst of activity. Following George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor's death, this movement has prompted a drastic increase in statements released by corporations and educational institutions-- some of which include Colleges of Engineering. There is very little insight into how engineering colleges communicate their influence in social and political movements. Utilizing "movement framing" as a lens, this study conducts a content analysis to explore educational institutions' and leaders' responses to race-based events that have gotten national attention from the end of May through July 2020. Specifically, we will take a closer look at messages published and retweeted on engineering departments' Twitter accounts. This paper addresses the following research question, 'What messages do top institutions awarding bachelor's degrees to African Americans provide to the public in response to the Black Lives Matter movement on Twitter between May 31 and June 17?' The findings will provide insight into engineering departments' utilization of messaging in social-political matters that impact the students they serve.