Is the Black square enough? Understanding Black travelers’ perceptions of racial-justice advocacy statements

Businesses have recently begun to use social media as a way to demonstrate their public stance on social issues (e.g., social advocacy). These actions can have positive or negative impacts on an entity’s legitimacy. This study explores destination marketing organizations’ engagement in Blackout Tuesday, a day where organizations used social media to convey their support for the racial-justice and/or the Black community. Existing studies exploring this topic have yet to consider the perceptions of these actions from the viewpoint of the Black consumers. Thus, this study explores how Black travelers perceive DMO racial-justice statements and how these statements impact elements of relational legitimacy-an organization’s ability to affirm one’s social identity. Through the use of thematic analysis this qualitative study reveals four major themes associated with variations of social advocacy: Silent Support, Apprehensive Action, Unclear Alignments, and Affirming Alliance.