Social Media for Social Justice

As the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, we are tasked with stimulating a national dialogue on race and helping to foster a spirit of reconciliation and healing. This directly impacts our social media practice and how we engage with digital audiences. It helps us reach new audiences, highlight relevant museum collections, create participatory experiences, and confront issues of race and social justice. We believe that all museums can participate in online discussions about race and social justice to create inclusive digital spaces that welcome all visitors. Museums can and should use their unique collections and individual missions to help their audiences make connections to our shared American history by telling stories outside the common narrative. This article illustrates the way one museum uses its collections, programming, and storytelling to uplift marginalized voices in the digital sphere.