Which 'Black Lives Matter' Twitter accounts should you be following?
The tragic killing of George Floyd on 25th May 2020 reignited the Black Lives Matter movement around the world. Twitter has always shown itself to be the best social media platform for learning about news, opinion, social movements, and can help anyone get involved in activism.
At the West African Herald, we have compiled a list of our favourite Twitter accounts which are speaking about Black Lives Matter to keep you up to date on everything you need to know:
1. Akwaeke Emezi @azemezi
Nigerian author of the best-selling novels Freshwater and Pet, Akwaeke Emezi has become the darling of the West African and American literary scene. Queer and proud, they are outspoken for both black equality and queer rights, and their twitter feed is a sharp and witty as their prose writing is beautiful.
Emezi’s most recent tweets address the huge disparity in publishing advances between black and white authors, and has joined in the #PublishingPaidMe tag.
2. Elnathan John @elnathan_john
Another internationally praised writer, Ethnathan John gives his twitter followers a biting and hilariously funny commentary on modern Nigerian life. His first novel Born on a Tuesday received the highest literary award in Africa, the NLGN Nigeria Prize for Literature and his satirical guide Be(com)ing Nigerian came out in 2019.
In response to the recent Black Lives Matter protests, his comments have been critiquing Nigeria’s own persecution of Shiite Muslims, noting the hypocritical attitudes.
3. Opal Tometi @opalayo
As one of the original three co-founders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, Opal is the real deal. Born in Arizona to Nigerian parents, Opal is the brains behind the largest civil rights movement of the 21st Century and consistently features in ‘Most Influential People’ lists around the world.
She keeps her 63.5k Twitter followers up to date on the latest news and always offers advice on how to get involved.
4. Ernesto Yeboah @ernestoyeboah1
Ernesto is on the front lines of Ghana’s #BlackLivesMatter movement. Just last week, he organized a protest in Accra campaigning against police brutality, only to be arrested himself for breaking lockdown laws.
A controversial figure for some, Ernesto is highly political on twitter, but definitely, one to watch if you want to see #BLM in action in Ghana.
5. Toyin Saraki @ToyinSaraki
In the league of wildly impressive black female activists, Toyin Saraki cannot be beaten. As the founder of The Wellbeing Foundation and the Global Goodwill Ambassador for The International Confederation of Midwives, Toyin is at the forefront of improving female sexual health and childbirth practices for Nigerian women and black women internationally.
To show your support for #BLM, join her 80.5k followers, and help improve black female health.
6. David Olusoga @DavidOlusoga
David Olusoga is a British-Nigerian historian, who has won a BAFTA as a broadcaster and has received praise for his book Black and British: A Forgotten History.
He is also swiftly becoming a known voice in the UK on the Black Lives Matter movement, and for his insight into the Edward Colston statue controversy. He currently has 95.5k Twitter followers.
Photo: AFP
From Left to Right (Twitter Profiles): Akwaeke Emezi, David Olusoga, Ernesto Yeboah, Elnathan John, Opal Tometi, Toyin Saraki
