Online Activism And Its Destruction On The Black Community

By L. Ardor
Pride Columnist

There is no doubt that we are living in the age of technology, anything that we need is available at our fingertips. Cellphones, chat rooms, online shopping, and a plethora of social media websites have afforded us the luxury of trading face-to-face social interaction, for social media impressions and personalities.

In the age where social grace and charisma is a result of quick wit, and quicker taps of the send button, the cool kids are often socially awkward backseat drivers, who choose to be clothed in the cool leather jacket and dark sunglasses that are the keys of their keyboard.

Along with the advancement of technological communication interactions, there has been a phenomenal increase in online activism. Every occurrence, ranging from political, social, and environmental, local or worldwide is likely to be tweeted, retweeted, shared, or reposted within a matter of seconds of the event.

The following minutes, create a barrage of opinions regarding the matter, resulting in flooded timelines all across the world; and with opinions, come screaming matches as frivolously as a tap on the caps lock key.

As McCaughey & Ayers stated, “Activists have not only incorporated the internet into their repertoire but also, as this volume shows, have changed substantially what counts as activism, what counts as community, collective identity, democratic space, and political strategy. And online activists challenge us to think about how cyberspace is meant to be used.”

As a result of this increase, the Black community has taken back their voice. Black Twitter has become a force to be reckoned with; respecting none, and calling out many. Online discussions on topics directly affecting our place in this world via race, sexuality, gender issues, and religion are posted by the minute on blogs, Facebook, and Instagram. Online activism has succeeded in giving every voice its due value; everyone is an expert on their oppression, and experiences. Finally something is on our side.

Like the age old saying, “Opinions are like bellybuttons, everyone has one.” Yet, if we are to take our cues from many online interactions of activism, this statement is false. Wading through the lengthy and often bolded responses, it becomes painfully clear that not everyone is allowed an opinion when change is being made through the channels of social media.

Reading the comments on various forums, and posts, I see beautiful black pride; I also saw a few instances of commenters shoving their capped locked opinions down other people’s throats. These discussions often dissolve into name calling, dismissive retorts, and an overall feeling of defeatism.

I often feel defeated, I often feel sad, and I leave questioning why we cannot interact like adults, understanding that we all do not have the same experience, the same enlightenment, the same journey, and the same opinions—I question why that cannot be accepted.

The truth is however, not everyone likes to see bare bellybuttons, along with the freedom of social media and online activism, comes the very policing we are trying to destroy.  Has anyone given you a bellybutton covering shirt lately? When you participate in an online discussion surrounding such topics, do you leave as naked and valued as you entered, or were you told in no uncertain terms that your voice doesn’t matter? Where does your opinion fit in?

Often times it does not fit in, because we as a community silence our own voices. Why should we then question why members of the community live, and move around in silence? In a time of increased technological advances, and a wealth of social media forums, we are still starved for contact and communication; we are still trying to get our voices heard. So many platforms, and we are still trying to get our voices heard.

Communities are being destroyed and we are the ones dismantling the bricks, we are still trying to get our voices heard, and often in sharing, we are met with a brick of hostility, and taped to it the comment: “shut the hell up if you don’t agree with me.”

Because of our trigger finger on the reply button, we have lost the ability to engage in healthy debates, we have forgotten how to reason, we have forgotten that when hostility is met with hostility, everyone stops listening. We have forgotten that in exposing the ignorance, we sometimes become the ignorant.

Our discretion and rationale have merged intimately with our passions, so we have lost the ability to remember that just because someone disagrees with you, it does not mean he/she is  against you.

Please do not confuse this with the plea to sit silently while someone is initiating verbally abusive language, nor am I advocating for racist, sexist, prejudicial, homophobic and transphobic conversations. I am advocating however, for everyone’s right to have an opinion, and for everyone’s right to voice his/her opinion. I am advocating for the golden rule: The same rights you want, you must be willing to extend to others.

I understand that when painful topics are being discussed, passions morph into arguments, I also understand that the need to be right is a human condition. When it comes to certain topics of discussion my skin tends to tint green, however I have learnt something very valuable through observation and personal experience: The best argument becomes irrelevant when pettiness, rudeness and disrespect becomes a tactic to get the point across.

I’m not throwing the right to block, delete, or silence anyone in the fire—I am urging you to look at those who are sitting around the fire with you. I am pleading with my sisters and brothers to value all the differences present in the community, and when you cannot live with one, still extend the right to be respected even in parting ways.

There is no doubt that we are living in a time of urgency for the Black community. We are calling for unity to be built on a crumbling and crippled foundation, we are supplicating for tribe building to scattered hearts, minds, and intentions. Building begins in the mouths, and subsequently the fingertips of the builders.

L. Ardor is a writer who believes that everything in life stems from love. Her mission is to spread her philosophy to all brave enough to embrace. You can find Ms. Ardor on twitter: @LaLaArdor.