External perceptions in an era of resurgence: Views of Black and Indigenous movements in early 21st century America

Abstract

In 2016, when the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe called for people to join them in their to stand against the Dakota Access Pipeline, it led to the largest gathering of tribes in over a century, thousands of people joining the water protectors on the plains of North Dakota, and support from people around the world. In 2020, when the Black Lives Matter movement surged around the United States in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others, it was arguably the largest movement in history. In addition to the size of these movements, they represented a new era of progressive Black and Indigenous-led social movements that built from past organizing but tested new leadership structures, strategies, and ideas. This dissertation focuses on three significant mobilizations in this era to answer the question: How did progressive Black and Indigenous-led movements in the past 15 years shape perceptions of outside groups –how did innovative movement successes come about, and how did some actions spark backlash? These papers capture the dynamics of how #NoDAPL, Black Lives Matter, and the movement to stop Line 3 shaped perceptions of the media, public, and opponents, respectively. Drawing upon media analysis, a survey, and interviews, this dissertation offers insights for progressive movements in the present and future, and the scholars who seek to understand them.