Social media and the internet have become so integrated in the twenty-first century, that there is a way to do literally everything (go to school, get a job, buy food and clothes, and date) without physically interacting with another person. Yet despite the constant usage of technology and social media to remain in contact with each other, what are we really saying? Analyzing popular outlets such as Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter is entertaining, but quickly leaves one disappointed. With controversy and injustice constantly stirring across the globe, you’d think that people would be less interested in posting about cats and talking trash. But if you look diligently enough, you discover a whole group of socially aware individuals on websites like Tumblr and Twitter; Black Tumblr/ Black Twitter. And while their awareness definitely provides knowledge (and humor) to an ignorant world, it prompts the question, what’s the point in being aware but not active?
Awareness is vital to understanding black struggles but because we live in a society where cultural awareness will never be enough to implement change. Being aware but not active is as much of a crime as being silent. Stop the silence. We need to be out there, actively educating our brothers and sisters to give them the power to stand with us against white supremacy. We need to be out there, actively shoving the reality that black is beautiful, intelligent, diverse, and capable down their throats as much as they’ve force fed us lies that we are ‘inferior’ and we will always be subordinate.
We need to be out there not just demanding change through marching and protesting, but we should be actively seeking individuals unafraid and unapologetic about our blackness to properly represent us and if there aren’t any, we need to become those leaders. But to lead, we must gain a deeper understanding, love, and respect for ourselves and our heritage. It’s cool to say that yeah I can empathize with someone else’s struggles, but being ignorant about how they came to be is dangerous because it prevents us from understanding how to address those issues. It’s not enough to reblog or retweet; create a tag, challenge someone, and educate others. Participate in events like #blackout (a movement on tumblr celebrating black beauty in all of its forms; promoting positive images of black people and helps to foster self love within the black community in efforts to challenge Anglo-centric standards of beauty) and share love. And if you don’t know, get educated! We’re so quick to shame each other and put others down when we should be lifting each other up and spreading knowledge.
Be an active agent of change.
