99 Percent, The

The slogan “We are the 99 percent,” which entered the American political lexicon in 2011, first appeared on a microblogging platform, Tumblr, to promote the cause of the Occupy Wall Street protests. It is the reformulation of the phrase “We, the 99 percent,” which appeared on a flyer, a call for an open general assembly to be held in New York City by the Occupiers. The two activists who initiated the Tumblr project simply solicited pictures from the public accompanied by a handwritten letter explaining how the harsh financial times had been affecting them. Submitters were asked to identify themselves as a 99 Percenter and to sign their letters with the pseudonym “I (we) am (are) the 99 percent.” The first post came out on ...