Facebook Ain’t For Our Black-Asses
Welcome to the thirtieth installment of This Black-Ass Life! This week we’re talking about why our Black Asses should care about the dirt Facebook is currently slinging at Color of Change and other civil rights organizations. Plus we stan Michelle Obama’s book tour vibe and side-eye Sheryl Sandberg.
Don’t forget: We've managed to grow this list thanks to y'all forwarding to friends so please keep it up! If possible, forward this link to subscribe to five friends. And please send us topics you'd like to see covered in the newsletter, texts from your Black-ass people and any Black-Ass anything from around the world and web.
l. The Facts
We know Facebook used anti-semitic language to come at George Soros, but did you know they had some hot ‘n’ spicy garbage reserved for Black folks, too?
Remember how much trouble you and everyone else has had reporting hate speech on Facebook? Well, Baltimore P.D. had no issue working with Facebook to secretly stop Korryn Gaines’ live stream of their raid on her home in 2016.
During the raid, Korryn held “her phone in one hand and a shotgun in the other [figuring] her only defense against being killed in front of her five-year-old son Kodi, was sunlight [her livestream] … She was right.”
Following Korryn Gaines’ murder and Facebook’s complicit role with the Baltimore PD, Rashad Robinson (Color of Change), met with Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Color of Change also released a public letter with other progressive organizations like ACLU and MoveOn.org.
How did Facebook respond? They formed a commission to create policies that uplift Black lives. SIKE! They hired a top right-wing firm to dig up dirt on civil rights organizations, explore any potential links to George Soros, and put out anti-Semitic content.
At the same time that Facebook was paying right-wing firms to undermine American democracy, Sheryl also admitted to the Congressional Black Caucus that Facebook allowed ads intended to heighten racial tensions by an organization linked to the Russian government during the 2016 Election.
Damn. Sheryl was really out here being this diabolical and without a moral compass <— guess this is how you lean in?
Korryn Gaines’ family was eventually awarded 37 million dollars, but without her live stream, prosecution deemed the shooting justified based only on the officer who shot her, Corporal Royce Ruby’s testimony.
Why is this important?
Many of the world’s leading technology companies including Facebook have long prided themselves on being the vanguard of a new connected and more equitable age. Truth is, many of these companies are racist, problematic and detrimental to people of color. Yes, Facebook is not for us, but truth is neither is Twitter or Youtube or even Tesla.
Black people working at these companies are also often underrepresented and sidelined. Facebook has specifically also created an environment where its Black employees don’t feel comfortable sharing new ideas and, uhhh, I don’t know, have opportunities to give feedback like “don’t attack civil rights organizations with anti-semitic campaigns?!”
Read this treatise on how Facebook fails its Black communities from its former Strategic Partner Manager for Global Influencers focused on Underrepresented Voices (whew! that title!), Mark Luckie.
Mark’s colleagues clearly did not take his constructive criticism well.
What Can My Black Ass Do?
Facebook is currently conducting a civil rights audit and has agreed to release the reports to civil rights organizations. Hold them to their promise by signing Color of Change’s petition here.
Keep reporting hate speech as you find it. Also keep receipts on whether that content is taken down or the offending accounts are suspended.
ll. Other Things
Men who ain’t shit, women including Michelle Obama who are goddesses, and Don Lemon.
Man and noted astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson said he didn’t sexually harass anyone, but we don’t trust none of y’all and we #believewomen.
Man, avid capitalist, and pro-charter defender Hakeem Jeffries beat bonafide progressive woman Barbara Lee for the Democratic House Caucus Chair. Democrats stay playing themselves and us.
Say what you will about the Global Citizen festival, but Beyoncé shut.that.down. Man and renowned rapper Jay-Z also showed up.
Read this from good man David Johns, of the National Black Justice Coalition: You Should Care About World AIDS Day Because Black People Are Dying and We Don’t Have To.
Anyone else tentatively like the new Don Lemon? I (Jumoke) enjoy the shade, but I just will never all the way see it for this man.
Michelle Obama pretty much called Shady Sheryl a liar and as usual, she is right on: “That whole ‘so you can have it all.’ Nope, not at the same time. That’s a lie. And it’s not always enough to lean in, because that shit doesn’t work all the time.”
Watch: POSE actress and awesome woman Angelica Ross on “Transgiving.” ❤️🦃
Ending on a much happier note, I (Mitu) love this promo from Grownish paying homage to A Different World. Grownish features characters who are a smooth 5-10 years younger than I am, but I still adore that show.
Our Black-Ass song of the week (Jumoke):
Listen to to Amen by Teni, Nigeria’s gender non-conforming phenom with the voice blessed by Yoruba Gods. The song is a prayer for God to keep you from harm's way and shady ass people. AMEN indeed.
Things we are looking forward to / things we are not looking forward to:
I (Jumoke) am look forward to football no longer existing in my lifetime. Don’t know why, but I can’t even tolerate commercials for the sport anymore. Seriously, why do Americans still have such a hard-on for a blood sport where the mostly Black athletes who play get shit on by racist-ass White owners, where retirement means living with scrambled egg brains, and your star players are continuously “caught” beating the shit out of women?! I hope Malcolm Gladwell is right and time is almost up for the moral abomination that is the NFL.
I (Mitu) look forward to looping Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas” animated movie on AMC. I pledge allegiance to the President of Christmas, Mariah.
lll. Text from a Black-Ass Mama
Thank you to a lovely friend and reader for sharing this text with an East African-Ass Mama! Both v funny and informative.
Stay Black, thrive, make your avocados soft, and we’ll hit your inbox next on December 17.