#ChallengeAccepted, prompting women to post B&W photos, is the latest Instagram trend. What's it all about?

As you may have noticed, the latest social media version of a chain letter is here: #ChallengeAccepted, which has resulted in several million black-and-white photos of women flooding everyone’s Instagram feed.

“We rise together when we lift each other up,” say the captions for the global women’s visibility trend, with photos that show women’s faces or full bodies, doing everything from posing — in a bikini, on a mountaintop, on a yoga mat, in bed, with free weights or dogs or babies — to eating, laughing, caressing pregnant bellies or presenting mastectomy scars.

There are endless versions of the caption — “women supporting women,” “stop waiting for permission to be great,” “there is nothing we can’t do!” and even, increasingly, “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.” But the bottom line is clear: Women have value, especially when they lift each other up.

So, how does one get “challenged”? First, you receive a private Instagram message, a sort of nomination, from another woman you know who finds you “amazing,” or “bad-ass,” or “beautiful, strong and incredible” or of similar values, asking you to post a black-and-white photo of yourself. Then, in addition to posting the photo, you are to tag the friend who challenged you and keep the trend going by sending private DMs to 50 — yes 50 — other cool women you know.

The hashtag, which appears to have started several days ago, has exploded. But in addition to being extremely time-consuming for anyone who takes part and providing some beautiful images for anyone paying attention, what’s it all about?

Theories of origin

According to the New York Times, which checked in with Instagram about the trend, there are a couple of explanations: One, that the idea of “women supporting women” as a powerful act came on the heels of last week’s much-lauded speech by Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, in which she lambasted Rep. Ted Yoho for his sexist comments toward her.

But others say that the challenge was actually kicked off by women in Turkey, who recently started sharing black-and-white photos to raise awareness of femicide. “Turkish people wake up every day to see a black-and-white photo of a woman who has been murdered on their Instagram feed, on their newspapers, on their TV screens,” many women have shared along with their photos in response to the viral trend. “The black-and-white photos challenge started as a way for women to raise their voice. To stand in solidarity with the women we have lost… I have seen many of my international friends participate in this challenge without knowing the meaning.”

Further confusing the roots here, a representative from Instagram told the New York Times that the earliest such post the company could find — at least for this current version of the challenge (which was last seen in 2016 to raise cancer awareness) —was posted from Brazil, on July 17, by the Brazilian journalist Ana Paula Padr?o.

Who’s participating, and what’s the point?

It’s women, all women, from your best friends to A-list celebs — including Kristen Bell, Eva Longoria, Kerry Washington, Cindy Crawford, Hillary Duff, Gabrielle Union, Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Aniston, Ivanka Trump, Octavia Spencer, Jennifer Lopez, Viola Davis and more.

But not everyone’s interpreting the challenge in the same way…

In addition to the many pointing toward the Turkish theory and using their posts as a way to bring attention to the country’s high murder rates of women while also taking aim at women allegedly co-opting the trend for more watered-down reasons, some are taking the opportunity to call for action on social justice issues. Jessica Biel, for example, who posted a playful photo of herself with fat curlers in her hair, seized the chance to talk about the importance of voting, offering a tip on how to check your registration status and get an absentee ballot.

But the most common above-and-beyond use of the challenge is in calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old Black EMT who was fatally shot in March, in her own home, by Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) officers who had busted in, and who have still not been arrested. To that end, Chelsea Handler made that her message, while many other women have started posting photos of Taylor instead of themselves, adding either supportive captions or links to actionable items.

Speaking of shade…

Not everyone’s thrilled with the trend, either, with some likening it to the recent one in which people posted black squares on Instagram as a way to show support for Black Lives Matter — something largely derided by actual activists as being lazy and performative.

For her part in the New York Times piece, Taylor Lorenz quoted a handful of influential women who told her they were confused by the challenge, saw it as pointless and suggested instead sharing “photos of books, articles, products and charities that benefit women.”

Of course, there’s also been a backlash against the backlash.

But it wouldn’t be social media without it.

Read more from Yahoo Life:

• Woman who captured photo of intimate sunset wedding tracks down newlyweds with inspiring love story

• Companies say Black Lives Matter. Employees say it’s just for show.

• As Black creators gain sudden exposure on TikTok and Instagram, social media platforms begin to acknowledge inherent biases

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