The transformation of social movements in the digital age: The civil rights movement and Black Lives Matter

This study offers a comparative analysis of the transformation of social movements in the digital age, focusing on the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. By examining their historical context, organizational structures, political demands, and collective identity formations, the study evaluates elements of continuity and rupture between the two. The theoretical framework is grounded in New Social Movements Theory, which is utilized to interpret the evolving nature of contemporary mobilizations. The Civil Rights Movement, characterized by centralized leadership and legal equality goals, is compared with the Black Lives Matter movement, which is decentralized, digitally networked, and rooted in cultural recognition. The findings indicate that instead of a complete rupture, there exists a historically grounded transformation shaped by new tools and conditions. Furthermore, the study concludes that digitalization has redefined protest forms, collective identities, and the relationship with the public sphere. It argues that in the digital era, social movements are not confined to physical spaces but can exert political influence through online networks, symbolic resistance, and identity-based politics.