Social media platforms have served as venues for political engagement and social activism for many years, especially for Black Americans.

Across Pew Research Center surveys, Black social media users have been particularly likely to say that these sites are personally important to them for getting involved with issues they care about, or finding like-minded people. They are also likely to express positive views about the impact of these platforms for holding powerful people accountable for their actions and giving a voice to underrepresented groups.

Though engaging in political behaviors and types of activism on these sites is not limited to any one group, Black social media users are often more likely than their counterparts from some other racial and ethnic backgrounds to engage in different types of political activities on social media, and to believe these activities are more effective. Across four types of political activities asked about in a June 2020 survey, Black American social media users are among those most likely to use these platforms for activities related to causes and issues.