Performative activism

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Performative activism is activism done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one's devotion to a cause. This form of engagement often emphasizes visibility over tangible results, focusing on symbolic gestures that align with trending social or political movements without sustained effort or meaningful impact.

Contents

History and usage

Early uses of the term

The term appeared online in a 2015 article by Hyperallergic , but referred to the activism that involved an element of performance art. [1] The article referenced the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp, and how some women protested nuclear weapons by decorating a fence "with pictures, banners, and other objects," and added that "they blocked the road to the site with dance performances. They even climbed over the fence to dance in the forbidden zone." [1]

In September 2018, Lou Constant-Desportes, the editor-in-chief of AFROPUNK.com resigned, citing "performative 'activism' dipped in consumerism and 'woke' keywords used for marketing purpose." [2]

Rainbow washing

Rainbow washing refers to the practice of corporations or organizations publicly aligning themselves with LGBTQ+ rights through symbolic gestures—such as adopting rainbow-themed logos, merchandise, or marketing campaigns during Pride Month—while failing to substantively support LGBTQ+ communities or address systemic inequities. The term, a portmanteau of "rainbow" (a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride) and "whitewashing," gained prominence in the 2010s as critics accused companies of exploiting queer identities for profit or reputational gain. [3]

Diversity & inclusion efforts at companies

By 2024, DEI initiatives faced significant backlash and decline. A combination of political polarization, legal challenges to affirmative action (e.g., the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision), and economic pressures led many companies to scale back or eliminate DEI programs. In October 2024, major corporations such as Meta, Boeing, Target, Amazon, Ford, Harley-Davidson, Lowe’s, Walmart among many others disbanded DEI departments or reduced related spending, citing shifting priorities and financial constraints. Critics of DEI framed these cuts as a rejection of "woke capitalism," while advocates argued it reflected performative retreats under political pressure rather than genuine commitment to equity. [4] [5] [6]

Analysts noted that the decline coincided with heightened partisan rhetoric around corporate social responsibility and "culture war" debates. Some companies rebranded DEI efforts under less politically charged terms like "talent optimization" or "workplace belonging." The trend also followed lawsuits alleging reverse discrimination and shareholder demands for cost-cutting amid economic downturns. Critics of the cuts, including civil rights groups, warned that abandoning DEI risked exacerbating workplace inequities, particularly for marginalized groups. [4]

The Forbes report documenting these rollbacks highlighted the tension between performative activism and sustained organizational change, noting that many companies had previously promoted DEI pledges during periods of social unrest but deprioritized them once public attention faded. [4]

George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter

Protest at the Whole Foods Market at South at 9th Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at the time of George Floyd Protests in response to a policy not to allow workers to wear clothing with Black Lives Matter printed on it. Whole Foods Market protest on policy banning clothing with Black Lives Matter printed on it-001.jpg
Protest at the Whole Foods Market at South at 9th Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA at the time of George Floyd Protests in response to a policy not to allow workers to wear clothing with Black Lives Matter printed on it.

On June 1, 2020, while expressing support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of the George Floyd protests, singer Lorde stated, "One of the things I find most frustrating about social media is performative activism, predominantly by white celebrities (like me). It's hard to strike a balance between self-serving social media displays and true action." [7] [8] [9]

On June 2, about 28 million Instagram users participated in the "Blackout Tuesday" movement, which involved users posting a completely blacked-out square image in order to show support of the George Floyd protests. [10] Celebrities and general users alike received criticism by other social media users for engaging in "performative activism" via these Blackout Tuesday posts. [11] [12]

On June 5, Washington, D.C., mayor Muriel Bowser had the phrase Black Lives Matter painted on 16th Street in front of the White House. Bowser was criticized as an example of a government official creating a "performative distraction". [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Internet activism involves the use of electronic-communication technologies such as social media, e-mail, and podcasts for various forms of activism to enable faster and more effective communication by citizen movements, the delivery of particular information to large and specific audiences, as well as coordination. Internet technologies are used by activists for cause-related fundraising, community building, lobbying, and organizing. A digital-activism campaign is "an organized public effort, making collective claims on a target authority, in which civic initiators or supporters use digital media." Research has started to address specifically how activist/advocacy groups in the U.S. and in Canada use social media to achieve digital-activism objectives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter</span> Social movement originating in the US

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people and to promote anti-racism. Its primary concerns are police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. The movement began in response to the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Rekia Boyd, among others. BLM and its related organizations typically advocate for various policy changes related to black liberation and criminal justice reform. While there are specific organizations that label themselves "Black Lives Matter", such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, the overall movement is a decentralized network with no formal hierarchy. As of 2021, there are about 40 chapters in the United States and Canada. The slogan "Black Lives Matter" itself has not been trademarked by any group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twin Cities Pride</span>

Twin Cities Pride, sometimes Twin Cities LGBT Pride, is an American nonprofit organization in Minnesota that hosts an annual celebration each June that focuses on the LGBT community. The celebration features a pride parade which draws crowds of nearly 600,000 people. The parade was designated the Ashley Rukes GLBT Pride Parade in honor of the late former parade organizer and transgender LGBT rights activist. Other Twin Cities Pride events include a festival in Loring Park and a block party spanning multiple days.

Millennial Activists United (MAU) is social justice organization in the U.S., based in Ferguson Missouri. The group works to end racism as well as police brutality in the United States.

Brand activism refers to the practice of businesses taking public stances on social, political, economic, or environmental issues, with the aim of contributing to societal change. Unlike traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR), which often focuses on philanthropy and internal ethical practices, brand activism involves actively addressing contentious social or political issues, such as systemic racism, reproductive rights, gun control, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigration, sexual harassment, and public health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rest in power</span> Idiomatic expression; variant of "rest in peace"

Rest in power is an expression used to mourn, remember or celebrate a deceased person, especially someone who is thought to have struggled against systemic prejudice such as homophobia, transphobia, racism or suffered because of it, particularly in black and LGBTQ communities in the United States. It has been used to eulogize victims of hate crimes while protesting the social inequality and institutionalised discrimination that may have led to their deaths. It is a common phrase to use to honor someone's legacy, though as an activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests</span> 2020–2023 police brutality protests

The George Floyd protests were a series of protests and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as reactions to the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed African American man, by city police during an arrest. They spread nationally and internationally. Veteran officer Derek Chauvin was recorded as kneeling on Floyd's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds; Floyd complained of not being able to breathe, but three other officers looked on and prevented passersby from intervening. Chauvin and the other three officers involved were later arrested. In April 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22+1⁄2 years in prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Oregon</span> 2020 civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd

This is a list of George Floyd protests in the U.S. state of Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blackout Tuesday</span> June 2, 2020, protest against racism and police brutality

Blackout Tuesday was a collective action to protest racism and police brutality. The action, originally organized within the music industry in response to the murder of George Floyd, the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and the killing of Breonna Taylor, took place on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Businesses taking part were encouraged to abstain from releasing music and other business operations. Some outlets produced blacked out, silent, or minimal programming for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the originally reported length of time that police officer Derek Chauvin compressed Floyd's neck.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C.</span> 2020 civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd

Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States, experienced a series of protests and riots following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Some of the events involved violence, looting, and destruction.

8 minutes 46 seconds (8:46) is a symbol of police brutality that originated from the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Derek Chauvin, a police officer, knelt on Floyd's neck, asphyxiating him. The duration that Chauvin spent kneeling was reported for weeks as 8 minutes 46 seconds, and later as 7 minutes 46 seconds, until body camera footage released in August 2020 showed that the actual time was 9 minutes 29 seconds. In the days following his murder, and the protests that followed, the duration became a focus of commemorations and debates, especially around Blackout Tuesday.

There were a series of George Floyd protests in Illinois. Demonstrations and protests were held in at least 30 communities around the state, with major demonstrations happening in Chicago. The vast majority of demonstrations were peaceful, though there were several instances of property damage or violence attributed to demonstrators or counter-protestors, the worst of which occurred in Aurora. In some cities, curfews were issued or orders released advising residents to avoid the areas in which protests were taking place.

Individuals and organizations throughout the United States and the world responded to the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests and riots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter Plaza</span> Section of 16th Street in Washington, D.C., designated in June 2020

Black Lives Matter Plaza is a two-block-long pedestrian section of 16th Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. The plaza was renamed by Mayor Muriel Bowser on June 5, 2020, after the Department of Public Works painted the words "Black Lives Matter" in yellow, 35-foot-tall (11 m) capital letters, along with the D.C. flag, during the series of George Floyd protests taking place in the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in the United Kingdom</span> 2020 anti-racism protests in the UK

Protests were held across the United Kingdom following the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man, by a police officer in the United States on 25 May 2020. Immediately following his murder, protests and riots occurred in dozens of cities across the United States. Protests were staged internationally for the first time on 28 May, with a solidarity demonstration outside the United States Embassy in London. They took place during the UK COVID-19 pandemic.

Shortly after protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an African-American who was murdered during a police arrest, began in the United States, people in New Zealand protested to show support for similar protests in the United States and to demonstrate against perceived issues with police brutality and structural discrimination in New Zealand. Vigils and protests of thousands of participants took place in June 2020 throughout the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in Italy</span> 2020 protests in Italy caused by the murder of George Floyd

Shortly after protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an African American who was murdered during a police arrest, began in the United States, the people of Italy also began to protest to show solidarity with the Americans.

Corporate sociopolitical activism (CSA) or woke capitalism refers to a firm's public demonstration of support or opposition to a partisan sociopolitical issue. CSA has become increasingly prominent in the 2010s and 2020s, as firms have taken stances on issues such as climate change, racial justice, reproductive rights, gun control, immigration, LGBTQ+ rights, and gender equality.

<i>We Stand with You</i> 2020 mural in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

We Stand With You is a 2020 mural of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor by artist Christian Grijalva, installed in Portland, Oregon.

References

  1. 1 2 Larkin, Daniel (February 6, 2015). "When Women Fought Nukes with Anarchy and Won". Hyperallergic . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  2. ↑ Darville, Jordan (September 5, 2018). "AFROPUNK editor resigns, cites "performative activism," employee mistreatment". The Fader . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Rainbow Washing: What It Is and How to Avoid It". Built In. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 Murray, Conor. "DEI Under Fire: Trump Eliminates Military Diversity Programs—Here's A List Of Major Organizations Dropping DEI". Forbes. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Continuing the Work of DEI, No Matter What Your Company Calls It". Harvard Business Review. December 13, 2024. ISSN   0017-8012 . Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  6. ↑ Obenauer, Billy. "UMaine needs to become a DEI leader – The Maine Campus" . Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  7. ↑ Rettig, James (June 1, 2020). "Lorde Addresses George Floyd Protests, "Performative Activism" In Rare Statement". Stereogum . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  8. ↑ "Lorde speaks out after George Floyd death: 'It's sickening'". The New Zealand Herald . June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  9. ↑ Kaufman, Gil (June 1, 2020). "Lorde Writes to Fans About George Floyd Protests: 'White Silence Right Now is More Damaging'". Billboard . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  10. ↑ Ahlgrim, Callie (June 2, 2020). "Here's everything you need to know about Blackout Tuesday and #TheShowMustBePaused initiatives". Insider . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Singh, Olivia (June 2, 2020). "Emma Watson is being criticized for 'performative activism' after altering black squares for Blackout Tuesday to seemingly fit her Instagram aesthetic". Insider . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  12. ↑ Ledbetter, Carly (June 2, 2020). "Emily Ratajkowski Slams People Doing The 'Bare Minimum' By Just Posting Black Squares". HuffPost . Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  13. ↑ Nirappil, Fenit; Zuzmer, Julie; Chason, Rachel (June 5, 2020). "D.C. paints 'Black Lives Matter' on street near White House". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
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