Cancel culture seeks to use collective disruption strategies to disrupt the circulation of ideas, people, and institutions deemed intolerant, oppressive, and destructive to the human community. It is an attempt to create accountability through public shaming and demands for apologies or reparative action. It is informed by critical theory to identify and disrupt oppressive patterns and values. Cancel culture is important in its ability to effectively challenge and hold accountable powerful systems of knowledge and power. Its efficacy lies in its ability to expand our current understanding of justice by forcing people to confront the unchecked patterns of bias, prejudice, and discrimination that remain hidden in our collective psychology.

See also: white supremacy, colonial order, slave trade, black lives, contemporary activism