If you were shot by police, what sort of profile photo would the media choose? The Root, Mashable and more traditional media outlets are reporting that thousands of young African-Americans are posting twin photos of themselves–one looking good, one looking bad–under the hashtag #IfTheyGunnedMeDown. The Root says the campaign began as a protest of the media “depicting us as violent thugs with gang and drug affiliations.”
A much-used photo of Michael Brown, the Ferguson, Mo., teenager killed by a police officer, shows him standing on a porch flashing a peace sign, which some in the media have called a gang sign. The New York Times says social media “has helped propel and transform a local shooting into a national cause, as African-American commenters draw attention to continued episodes of violence directed at African-Americans and the media portrayals of young black men.”