A political cartoon depicting the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. recirculated online in August 2020, as users pointed out the parallels between how his efforts for Black liberation were viewed during his life and skepticism around the Black Lives Mat
Publication: black lives matter
Truth or Fiction?→ Was ‘a Mob’ Trying to Break into the Mayor of Kenosha’s Home?
The mayor of Kenosha, Wisconsin rebuffed a lie from United States President Donald Trump on September 1 2020 — after Trump called him “foolish” prior to visiting the city against the wishes of both local and state leadership. The pre
Truth or Fiction?→ Facebook Blames Lack of Training For Spread of Kenosha ‘Militia’ Gang Content
As content praising the suspect in a double homicide committed during a protest against police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin continued to proliferate on Facebook, the social media platform’s executive officer, Mark Zuckerberg, blamed a lack of
Truth or Fiction?→ Two Killed in Kenosha During Racial Violence Inflamed in Facebook Groups
As racial violence escalated and echoed throughout the United States during the summer of 2020 and “civil defense” groups formed on Facebook and appeared at demonstrations throughout the country, a gunman shot and killed two people during
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Someone Organize an Online Fundraiser for the Kenosha Murder Suspect?
Not long after his identity was revealed, the seventeen-year-old Illinois teen accused of committing a double murder in Kenosha, Wisconsin was the intended beneficiary of an online fundraiser in his name. The fundraiser raised $705 on GoFundMe before
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Thousands of Seattle Democrats Gather to Demand Mail-In Voting Because Voting in Person Is Too Dangerous?
On August 18 2020, a photograph purportedly showing “thousands of Seattle Democrats” (at least, according to random people online) circulated on Twitter: This is a photo of thousands of Seattle Democrats gathering to demand mail in votin
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Kamala Harris Say She Would Opt for More Policing in 2009 — Before Describing it as ‘Status-Quo Thinking’ in 2020?
After United States Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden confirmed his selection as Kamala Harris as his running mate on August 11 2020, a Facebook meme purportedly quoted Harris on policing in 2009 and 2020 — expressing what appear
Truth or Fiction?→ Was a Colorado Man Arrested and Charged With Accidentally Shooting Fellow Protesters?
On July 31 2020, a Facebook user shared the following image and a status update claiming that a protester in Denver had accidentally shot fellow protesters in Denver: The Facebook user wrote: Protesters illegally blocked traffic on an interstate in
Truth or Fiction?→ Was This Photograph Taken at a Protest in Portland?
A Black photojournalist’s work recirculated online in July 2020, though without credit to him and sometimes eliding the context of his original photograph. Freelancer Crush Rush first took the photograph on May 31 2020 during protests against po
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Pepper-Spraying Medical Supplies a War Crime?
Footage posted by a journalist covering the ongoing protests against police brutality brought back to light an apparent loophole exploited by law enforcement. As part of his coverage on July 22 2020, Portland-area reporter Sergio Olmos posted footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Florida Congressional Candidate Tweet That White Women Join Black Lives Matter ‘to Fornicate With Black Men’?
On July 16 2020, purported screenshots of a tweet by Florida congressional candidate KW Miller began circulating; in them, Miller appeared to assert that white women “join Black Lives Matter” with the sole intent of “fornicating with
Truth or Fiction?→ Are ‘BLM Convoys’ Threatening to ‘Occupy Atlanta’?
Conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi reached out for attention from United States President Donald Trump on July 7 2020, all the while regurgitating a long-debunked right-wing internet boogeyman to smear the Black Lives Matter movement. Corsi took to his
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Black Lives Matter Members Attack a Man While Protesting a Statue of Louis IX?
A demonstration calling for the removal of a historical monument in in St. Louis in June 2020 was targeted by both far-right online users and channels both before it took place and prior to an altercation that was subsequently used to smear both the o
Truth or Fiction?→ Is Antifa Renting U-Hauls to Infiltrate ‘Residential Neighborhoods’?
A June 27 2020 post by user Cindy Kowalczyk was shared thousands of times, claiming (without citations or sources) that “Antifa plans residential Neighborhood attacks” using U-Haul moving trucks: The Rumor and Earlier Iterations In the
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Golden Girls’ Blackface Controversy
On June 28 2020, Facebook user Matt Joseph shared the following post, which showed a BuzzFeed article (“An Episode Of “The Golden Girls” Was Pulled From Hulu For Featuring Blackface”) and a comment about how the decision was co
Truth or Fiction?→ This Photograph Does Not Show a Woman Who Was Beaten and Sexually Assaulted at a BLM Protest
In mid-June 2020, the following meme circulated on Facebook and Instagram, purportedly a screenshot of a Facebook post by a woman claiming she was “beaten and raped” by three people of color at a Black Lives Matter protest:
Truth or Fiction?→ Viral Post Blames Powdersville Cemetery Vandalism on ‘Black Lives Matter’
On June 14 2020, the Facebook page “The Sharp Truth” shared the following post and lambasted Black Lives Matter activists for purportedly vandalizing the Powdersville Cemetery in Anderson County, South Carolina: The text, which appeare
Truth or Fiction?→ Were Four Busloads of Protesters (or ‘Antifa’) in Ada, Oklahoma Met by ‘600 Armed Americans,’ — and the News Won’t Report It?
On June 18 2020, Facebook user Eric Wicklund shared the following post, claiming (in yet another warmed-over variation on very well-worn scarelore) that “four busloads” of protesters planned to descend on Ada, Oklahoma — but their ne
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Fireworks Every Night’ in June 2020
On June 20 2020, the Facebook page “Son of Baldwin” shared what would later become a popular iteration of a “fireworks conspiracy” set of rumors, spreading from several points on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit: The Facebook
Truth or Fiction?→ Is ‘Officer McMuffin’ Stacy Talbert a Security Guard, Not Law Enforcement?
After a June 15 2020 Facebook Live video from Stacey Talbert (during which she sobbed over a delayed Egg McMuffin at a Georgia McDonald’s) went viral, a couple of tweets claimed that Talbert was a security guard posing as a police officer: UP
Truth or Fiction?→ Tamla Horsford’s Death Investigation Reopened: ‘This Picture Literally Gives Me the Chills’
On June 14 2020, a Facebook user shared the following post about the death of Tamla Horsford: Viral Posts about Tamla Horsford in June 2020 An appended image of eight women — seven white and one black — was captioned “This picture l
Poynter→ Watch out for scams and hoaxes hidden in Black Lives Matter content
It seems that opportunistic scammers have moved from one tragic crisis to another. COVID-19 attracted hoaxes and exploited a confused public, and now the murder of George Floyd and the worldwide protests are doing the same, keeping fact-checkers busy.
Truth or Fiction?→ BabyNames.com Intermittently Crashes After Paying Tribute to Victims of Police Violence
On June 8 2020, a number of social media posts directed users to visit the website BabyNames.com (a source for baby naming ideas), often without preview — and the popularity of the messages meant a lot of people were not immediately aware of why
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Long Island News Outlet Call George Floyd Graffiti ‘Anti-Government’?
A television station in Long Island, New York used some of George Floyd’s last words to attract social media users to a short story about “anti-government graffiti.” News 12 Long Island’s Twitter post on June 7 2020 did not men
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Mayor of Buffalo Call 75-year-old Martin Gugino ‘an Agitator’?
Amid criticism of his local police department for its treatment of 75-year-old Martin Gugino that was captured on video and spread online, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown further inflamed the situation by attempting to smear the victim by implying he deserv
Truth or Fiction?→ Was an Oregon Police Officer Caught Telling an Armed Man How to Avoid Curfew?
Police in Salem, Oregon blamed officer ignorance for a conversation captured on video on June 1, 2020. The video, first aired live by Joe Smothers on his Facebook account on June 1, 2020, chronicles a local protest against extrajudicial killing as wel
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Whoever Bought the Domain LouisvilleMetroPolice.com is a Hero’
On June 1 2020, a Facebook user shared the post below, directing fellow users to the domain LouisvilleMetroPolice.com and lauding its creator as a hero: The post was shared more than 10,000 times in under four days, with most commenters tag
Truth or Fiction?→ Did LEGO Stop Marketing Police Figurines, White House Sets in Response to George Floyd Protests?
On June 3 2020, a Facebook post circulated with a viral claim that children’s toy manufacturer LEGO had ceased marketing police figurines and a White House building set due to the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests: The per
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Someone Throw a ‘Gas Bomb’ Into a Horse Trailer During a Black Lives Matter Protest?
A Michigan woman’s effort to spread disinformation on Facebook about a Black Lives Matter protest several states away has been shared more than 90,000 times on the platform — despite several news sources refuting her claim. Kaitlyn White&#
Truth or Fiction?→ #BlackLivesMatter and the Parable of the “100 Sheep”
On May 31 2020, a Facebook analogy about Jesus and a flock of 100 sheep (where one was lost and 99 were safe) began circulating: That poster, Jared Price, credited Twitter user Manny Arteaga for the analogy. Arteaga shared a similar post earlier on
Truth or Fiction?→ Nickelodeon Goes Off the Air for Eight Minutes and 46 Seconds to Protest Death of George Floyd
On June 1 2020, Facebook posts about a purportedly strong message of support for Black Lives Matter on children’s television network Nickelodeon began circulating, including posts about the channel going off the air for eight minutes and 46 seco
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Dallas Police Tweet About ‘Technical Difficulties’ After Kpop Stans ‘Spammed’ Their ‘Snitch App’?
On May 31 2020, the following tweet offered “a story in 4 acts” — Dallas Police requesting recordings of purported “illegal activity” during protests over the death of George Floyd, two tweets from fans of the popular mus
Truth or Fiction?→ Are the #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd Hashtags Banned on TikTok?
Actress Rachel Zegler and other users criticized the video app TikTok in May 2020, after some reported that the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd had been wiped from search results on the platform. As the entertainment site AceShowbiz.com fi
Truth or Fiction?→ Did George Floyd’s Autopsy Reveal ‘Potential Intoxicants’?
Following the arrest of Derek Chauvin in connection with the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in May 2020, the release of the criminal complaint against the former Minneapolis police officer reignited criticism against local authorities. One part
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Derek Chauvin Photographed Alongside Donald Trump at a Campaign Rally?
In the aftermath of the extrajudicial killing of 46-year-old George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, social media users spread a photograph online that they claimed showed one of the officers alongside United States President Donald
Truth or Fiction?→ Were More ‘American Blacks’ Killed by ‘Illegal Immigrants’ Than Police in Recent Years?
In January 2019, the following Facebook status update circulated with the claim that undocumented immigrants caused the deaths of more black Americans than officer involved shootings in years prior: White text on a black background unaccompanied by im
Snopes→ St. Louis DA Win Latest Victory for Black Lives Matter
"We must always vote for issues and not just candidates," said Charlene Carruthers, national director of BYP100, a Chicago-based group.
Snopes→ Did a Black Lives Matter Leader Get Sued for Embezzling Donations?
Right-wing web sites republished a fabricated story posted by a notorious purveyor of fake news.
Snopes→ Black Lives Matter Flag Begins Flying Over Vermont School
A Vermont high school began flying a Black Lives Matter flag in what officials said was a commitment to make the mostly white institution more inclusive.
Snopes→ Erica Garner, Voice of Police Accountability, Dies
The daughter of Eric Garner, who was killed by a police officer administering a chokehold in 2014, was 27.