All of you who read my posts and follow my
blog (www.phillipnorton.blogspot.com) know that I’m not against online activism.
In fact, I believe in it, and have always been moved by the power it wields. Yea,
I have played a part in various Internet campaigns and have seen the power that
lies in us Black Americans when we’re aligned to create change from behind our
computers. It felt good to lend a hand and to know that my small financial
contributions made a difference sometimes.
But I think (hash-tag) activism should be used with caution, especially when it comes to issues affecting our beloved Black community. Sometimes, it risks contributing to a false sense of accomplishment while hiding the full picture of what’s really taking place in the hood. That's why, after one post, I stopped participating in the crusade, which was designed to draw attention to the dilemma of the 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram (I like that name for some reason?) last month.
I worried that this was becoming one of those situations in which folk feel an unfounded sense of accomplishment. This campaign has been going on for weeks, and it's become agonizingly clear to me that while the hash-tag has drawn out all kinds of attention, the news coverage ain’t enough to make a difference to the people at the center of this sickening story….the Nigerian girls who have not been brought back and who, despite all of the hash-tag tweets, remain in severe danger. The kidnappings are still an international focus of discussion, but the focus ofAmerica
I think a version of that idea really applies here. When it comes to pushing for justice we have to be especially deliberate. Social media activism might not be as powerful as you think it is when it comes to concrete results, when we Black folks are dealing with situations that call for more than just raising awareness. Get it?
My crazy and selfish concern isn't that it's hopeless, but that it’s making us feel as if the job is done; therefore keeping us from taking a course of action that may be more effective in the long run. I particularly worry about how the #BringBackOurGirls campaign will turn out when I think of some examples from the past: The United States Supreme Court has torn apart Affirmative Action, and George Zimmerman got off. Hum? Considering these outcomes, I had to make sure I was honest with myself about the fact that a hash-tag might not do too much to help with the return of the girls. But what the hell would help? What are our options? That's a question I challenged the Angry Black Man to answer. Doing "something else" don’t mean picking up and moving toNigeria Nigeria
I'd personally rather see real social change inNigeria
But I'm also careful not to let myself become satisfied. For me, that means skipping the hash-tag and focusing on understanding and learning about why this shit happened, what is essential to fix it, and how we can make sure it doesn't happen again. I’m out!!
But I think (hash-tag) activism should be used with caution, especially when it comes to issues affecting our beloved Black community. Sometimes, it risks contributing to a false sense of accomplishment while hiding the full picture of what’s really taking place in the hood. That's why, after one post, I stopped participating in the crusade, which was designed to draw attention to the dilemma of the 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Boko Haram (I like that name for some reason?) last month.
I worried that this was becoming one of those situations in which folk feel an unfounded sense of accomplishment. This campaign has been going on for weeks, and it's become agonizingly clear to me that while the hash-tag has drawn out all kinds of attention, the news coverage ain’t enough to make a difference to the people at the center of this sickening story….the Nigerian girls who have not been brought back and who, despite all of the hash-tag tweets, remain in severe danger. The kidnappings are still an international focus of discussion, but the focus of
I think a version of that idea really applies here. When it comes to pushing for justice we have to be especially deliberate. Social media activism might not be as powerful as you think it is when it comes to concrete results, when we Black folks are dealing with situations that call for more than just raising awareness. Get it?
My crazy and selfish concern isn't that it's hopeless, but that it’s making us feel as if the job is done; therefore keeping us from taking a course of action that may be more effective in the long run. I particularly worry about how the #BringBackOurGirls campaign will turn out when I think of some examples from the past: The United States Supreme Court has torn apart Affirmative Action, and George Zimmerman got off. Hum? Considering these outcomes, I had to make sure I was honest with myself about the fact that a hash-tag might not do too much to help with the return of the girls. But what the hell would help? What are our options? That's a question I challenged the Angry Black Man to answer. Doing "something else" don’t mean picking up and moving to
I'd personally rather see real social change in
But I'm also careful not to let myself become satisfied. For me, that means skipping the hash-tag and focusing on understanding and learning about why this shit happened, what is essential to fix it, and how we can make sure it doesn't happen again. I’m out!!
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