Fighting With Fashion

Media can genuinely affect the way we see social change. Media, no matter what platform it stands on, is our way of remaining connected to one another and stay informed of the changes happening in our world. Media is the heart of fashion. Fashion is an expressive form of art that can be expressed in many ways, through makeup, fragrances, and clothing. It is also a reflection of popular culture and can be used to promote social change. Media and fashion go hand-in-hand.

In 2012, Seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin was murdered by the neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman. Zimmerman stalked and followed Martin as he was returning from a nearby 7-11 franchise to the Twin Lakes gated community for a brief visit with his relatives. Because of the way Martin was attired, Zimmerman stereotypically identified him as a thug and shot him.

Afterward, protests and rallies were held in honor of Martin, forcing the hand of the legal system to give him justice. Protestors of the Million Hoodie March were adorned with Hoodies while carrying cans of Watermelon flavored Arizona and a bag of skittles. This symbolized his innocence even after, being falsely accused of having a gun and striking Zimmerman.

Although, justice of Trayvon never came the Million Hoodie March awakened the African American community's need to unify and fight against inequality.

In this instance, fashion played a symbolic role and social media created a way for many to connect, unify and create a way to fight against an inhumane and unfair system .