Abstract
The first two decades of the twenty-first century have been marked by global crises and social movements captured in hashtags. #RhodesMustFall, #BlackLivesMatter, #CeasefireNow, #ClimateChange, #Covid – these cryptic symbols offer abundant evidence for cultural historians of the future to examine not just what happened but how people felt about it. Cultural historians have begun to analyse such online/offline social media-driven campaigns and show how they influence people’s engagement with and in historical events. Communities across the globe have loudly debated whether to abolish police, divest from Israeli universities and companies, tear down statues and ban the use of fossil fuels. Global North academic institutions have had to confront the demands for institutional change that follow such campaigns. These events are the stuff of cultural history, and they also intersect with new directions in our field, such as the theory and practice of decolonization and decoloniality.