• Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Skip to content
SUBSCRIBE
  • MAGAZINE
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Celebrity
    • Daniel Kaluuya Digital Cover
    • Digital Cover Method Man
    • Digital Cover Zazie
    • Celebrity News
    • ‘Yes, Girl!’ Podcast
    • Entertainment
      • Paint The Polls Black
    • Black Celeb Couples
    • Celebrity Moms
    • Red Carpet
    • If Not For My Girls
  • Fashion
    • ESSENCE Fashion House 2022
    • Fashion News
    • Street Style
    • Accessories
    • Fashion Week
  • Beauty
    • Black Beauty Awards 2022
    • ESSENCE Hair Awards 2022
    • AVEENO Skin Health Startup Accelerator
    • Beauty News
    • Skin
    • Makeup
    • Nails
    • Girls United: Beautiful Possibilities
  • Hair
    • Hair News
    • Natural
    • Relaxed
    • Transitioning
    • Weave
    • 4C
  • Love
    • Love & Sex News
    • The Solve Podcast
    • Weddings
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
    • ESSENCE Gift Guide 2022
    • ESSENCE + smartwater Live Well Challenge
    • Build Your Legacy 2022
    • Dream & Plan with Confidence Prudential
    • AMEX Platinum Travel
    • Homecoming Season 2022
    • Lifestyle News
    • Health & Wellness
    • Black History Month
    • ESSENCE Eats
    • Money & Career
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Black Travel Guide
  • News
    • Paint The Polls Black
    • Sponsors Recognition Page 2022
    • Latest News
    • Raise Your Voice
    • Culture
    • Politics
  • Video
  • Festival
    • 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Fest Videos
  • Events
    • 2023 ESSENCE Film Festival
    • 2022 Girls United Summit
    • 2022 ESSENCE Fashion House
    • 2022 Black Women In Hollywood
    • 2022 HOLLYWOOD HOUSE
    • 2022 Homecoming Season
    • Wellness House
    • She Got Now
    • Dear Black Men
    • I Am Speaking
    • Power Tools
  • Studios
  • Girls United
Home · Celebrity

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015

Black Twitter showed up and showed out in 2015. Whether they were giving us life with hashtags like #DuragHistoryWeek or igniting change with #ConcernedStudent1950, here are the 23 Black Twitter hashtags that had us talking this year. 
By Taylor Lewis · Updated October 27, 2020
01
#ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies

The holidays are a time to bring the Black Twitter fam together around the social media table. Nothing says Thanksgiving like bonding over our shared #ThanksgivingWithBlackFamilies experiences.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
02
#BeforeYouWatch

It was all but impossible to avoid the video released last month showing Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke firing 16 shots into 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. The heartbreaking footage prompted Black Twitter to begin the hashtag #BeforeYouWatch to strengthen and unite individuals before they watched the video.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Scott Olson/Getty Images
03
#DuragHistoryWeek

Because if it wasn’t for Durag History Week, we wouldn’t know fun facts like the Sphinx was actually the first to rock the trend or that, with the help of his durag, Moses was able to control all types of waves. 

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
04
#SayHerName

We know all too well our slain brothers, but what about our fallen sisters? Making sure that names like Natasha McKenna, Sandra Bland and Renisha McBride didn’t get lost in the shadows, Black Twitter launched the hashtag #SayHerName to bring their identities to the forefront of the justice conversations.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Fairfax County Police Department
05
#BlkWomenSyllabus

Looking for the next e-book to download onto your Kindle? Look no further. #BlkWomenSyllabus encouraged Black bookworms to tweet their must-read books, and book clubs everywhere rejoiced.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Getty Images
06
#DrakeAlwaysOnBeat

Drake gave us that hashtag that we didn’t know we needed after he dropped his beautifully choreographed video for “Hotline Bling.” It didn’t take us long to figure out that—surprise!—his dance moves go with any beat. “7/11”? Drake’s on beat. Marvin Gaye? Drake’s on beat. The Charlie Brown theme song? Drake is still on beat.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
07
#CivilRightsTwitter

Gather around kids; it’s time for your Black history lesson. Black Twitter had some fun with #CivilRightsTwitter, giving us a glimpse of what life would’ve been like had the Civil Rights Movement merged with the flair (and clap backs) of today. Hilarity ensues.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
08
#Charleston

The world mourned when 21-year-old Dylann Roof stormed into Emanuel AME Church on June 17 and killed nine African-Americans during bible study. People everywhere took to Twitter to share their palpable heartbreak.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton
09
#TakeItDown

Shortly after the Charleston shooting, the Confederate flag debate was reignited, with millions demanding that the South Carolina capital remove the flag from its grounds. Black girl wonder Bree Newsome eventually scaled the pole herself to remove the flag. 

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
AP Photo/Bruce Smith
10
#CelebritiesOnlyBlackPeopleKnow

We know them and we love them, but somehow, these celebrities never quite went mainstream. Oh, well; more for us!

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
11
#CarefreeBlackGirl

The hashtag that gave us all serious life goals in 2015. It encouraged women to embrace their Black femininity, cultivate their individuality and channel their inner Solange/Erykah Badu/Janelle Monae. *Praise hands emoji*

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Instagram
12
#OscarsSoWhite

You know Hollywood has a diversity problem. We know Hollywood has a diversity problem. And now, Hollywood knows that Hollywood has a diversity problem. Twitter immediately noticed that last year’s Oscar nominees had a severe lack of melanin, and they quickly brought it to the Academy’s attention.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
13
#AskRachel

Black Twitter had a field day once they caught wind of the legend of Rachel Dolezal, the “Black” Washington NAACP leader who was outed for being White. The pure absurdity of the front-page story had Black Twitter testing Rachel’s “Blackness” by asking questions like, “What side does the Electric Slide start on?”

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review via AP
14
#AssaultAtSpringValley

A national spotlight was cast on Spring Valley High School in October after a school resource officer was caught on camera violently throwing a Black 16-year-old girl across a room for failing to put her phone away. The disturbing footage sparked a conversation that eventually resulted in the officer being fired.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
15
#GrowingUpBlack

Our shared experiences as Black children makes the world go ‘round, right? The ingenuity that is Black Twitter gave us #GrowingUpBlack, and we got our life for daaays.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
16
#StayMadAbby

ICYMI, the Supreme Court is currently hearing a case that could potentially crumble affirmative action. University of Texas applicant Abigail Fisher is suing the university, claiming that she was denied entry because of the school’s affirmative action procedures. Cue Black Twitter. Black graduates everywhere began tweeting photos of themselves in their caps and gowns, pointing out both their academic and professional accolades. Slow. Clap.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
17
#Zola

In October, we all took an hour out of our busy work days to read the epic tale of Zola, an self-identified stripper who took a whirlwind of an adventure to Florida with a questionable new girlfriend. We laughed, we cried, and we are wondering why it’s taking Hollywood so long to jump on this screenplay.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
18
#IfIDieInPoliceCustody

Questions still surround the death of Sandra Bland, the 28-year-old woman who was found dead in her jail cell three days after being arrested during a routine traffic stop. The mysterious circumstances of her premature death sparked the hashtag #IfIDieInPoliceCustody, allowing social media users to declare that they would not commit suicide while detained.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Facebook.com/Sandra.Bland.5070
19
#ThanksgivingClapbacks

Not looking forward to dealing with your auntie’s nonsense this Thanksgiving? Twitter has a hashtag for that. #ThanksgivingClapbacks gave us the quips we needed to survive the holiday. Can we get a #ChristmasClapbacks? 

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
20
#BlackGirlMagic

In case you missed out on the magic that is #BlackGirlMagic, the hashtag celebrates all the wonderments of Black women, whether that is our accomplishments, our allure, or our all-around slayage. Misty Copeland, anyone?  

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
21
#PattiPie

James Wright shot to international fame after posting a review of Patti LaBelle’s sweet potato pies where he actually turned into the legend herself. His YouTube video has since garnered more than 4 million views, he has launched multiple partnerships with Patti herself and the rest of us are left scrambling to get our hands on some sold-out #PattiPie.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Instagram
22
#ConcernedStudent1950

After University of Mizzou students became frustrated with the administration’s handling of an onslaught of racial incidents, Black grad students created #ConcernedStudent1950, named for the first year the school was integrated. The coalition called for the removal of President Tim Wolfe, and mere weeks after the group’s formation, Wolfe announced his resignation.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Allison Long/The Kansas City Star via AP
23
#FlotusBars

After Michelle Obama teamed up with Jay Pharaoh and College Humor to drop a rap video (ok, it was promoting higher education, but she still dropped a verse), Black Twitter took it upon themselves to launch FLOTUS’ rap career. And we’re totally okay with that.

The 23 Most Memorable Black Twitter Hashtags of 2015
Twitter
TOPICS:  Black Twitter Twitter
COMPANY INFORMATION
  • Our Company
  • Customer Service
  • Essence Ventures
  • Change Your Address
  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Internships
  • Media Kit
  • tag
SUBSCRIBE
  • Newsletters
  • Give a Gift of ESSENCE
  • Magazine Tablet Edition
FOLLOW US
MORE ON ESSENCE
  • Home
  • Love
  • Celebrity
  • Beauty
  • Hair
  • Fashion
  • ESSENCE festival

ESSENCE.com is part of ESSENCE Communications, Inc.

Essence may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

©2023 ESSENCE Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Essence.com Advertising Terms

Get The ESSENCE Newsletter and
Special Offers delivered to your inbox

By clicking Sign Up, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Get The ESSENCE Magazine
by subscribing below
subscribe now