Newton Teen Creates Tool For Black Lives Matter Movement

NEWTON, MA — A Newton South junior, challenged by her teachers to do an extra final project related to the Black Lives Matter movement, decided she wanted to have a final project that really made an impact.

So, she created a way to make it easier for people to take action and ask for change from municipal law enforcement. She built @reptilebot, an automated text bot that allows people to sign and send email messages to local police departments, specifically to demand justice for incidents of police brutality.

Since it went live early Tuesday, it has sent some 1,200 emails, Ellen Yang told Patch.

"When I logged on today and saw how many people had been using it, it's just really moving to see so many people using a tool that you made for good," she said. "It's a win for the movement and for amplifying the fight in general against police brutality."

Yang, who is 17 and has her own side consulting company among other business endeavors, said that as far as she can tell, this is the only SMS bot that's been created specifically to reach out to law enforcement.

Hers is similar to Resist bot, which allows people to contact legislators and sign petitions related to everything from the Keep Families Together Act to COVID-19.

But with RepTile bot, all you have to do to use it is text "ACTION" to 617-553-6633, and the automated bot will ask you which city you want to contact and provide a list of issues. You text the one-word responses and then your name and where you live, and the app will automate your demand and deliver it. So far, you have two choices: Send a message to either the Minneapolis police or the Boston police.

Photos: Protesters Hold 'Die-In' Outside Boston's Franklin Park

The topic of racism near and far was a trending theme throughout the year in many of her classes at Newton South this year, Yang said. As the end of the school year neared, both her biology and math teachers added an option to have a final project that related.

The wheels of Yang's mind immediately set to work on a project that could work for both, she said.

She started her project the evening of June 1 and finished it at 3 a.m. the following day, less for her math and bio teachers — the project isn't due for days — and more for its potential impact.

"So many people are on social media sharing quotes about Black Lives Matter, and people are resharing stories and are like 'OK, I've done my part,'" she said.

But the issue is people often don't know where to start, or feel scared to go find emails and send to law enforcement to take that next step to make their voices have impact.

"I wanted to make a super easy solution, and who doesn't have time to send a text?" she said. "It started as a school project, and now it's spiraled into much bigger than a class final."

The bot collects the name and cities and then sends an automated message, but doesn't give out contact information to the police. Yang is working to reach out to both police departments to see if someone might respond to the requests.

She's ever thinking of ways to improve the bot, and different causes to add, and she is taking requests on Instagram. She does have to pay for each text, and that adds up, she said, so she's had to ask for donations to come in. Down the line — and, yes, she expects to keep this going for a while — she hopes to have something in place that's a bit more sustainable.

"The main thing I hope people take away is that they can take action," Yang said. "As great and important as social media is, if you don't take the time to actually contact the people in power and have the power to change [you're missing a big component]. It's what pushes the movement and the fight against police brutality."

So far, more people have opted to send messages to the Minneapolis Police Department than Boston police, she said.

"I hope that more people will continue to use it as a tool to make sure that our voices ARE heard by those with power and keep pushing the Black Lives Matter revolution forward," Yang said.

Read more: Protesters Hold 'Die-In' Outside Boston's Franklin Park

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, opinion piece.