The most common, and in some instances appropriate, response to racist white establishments that rely on us to survive would be a boycott, because in the words of Zinzi Clemmons, “They can’t have our words if they don’t respect us.” However, most black activists have built a strong following on this platform. For instance, with movements like BLF and Black Lives Matter, social media is an easy way to communicate with and educate society and the people who look to them for socio-political action. So, to boycott Facebook would be to boycott the hard work they have put in to build their following, it would be to boycott social media mobilization (which has proven to be a powerful method for organizing rallies and marches) and it would be boycotting the right to be treated fairly and without discrimination.
“Social media is an easy way to communicate with and educate society and the people who look to them for socio-political action.”
Facebook needs to be transformed from the inside out. Their internal policies are just as problematic as the policies they impose on users. The notion that Mark Zuckerberg & Co mustn’t be labeled as white supremacists because they didn’t intend for Facebook to be a breeding ground for bigotry and racism when it was created is utter rubbish because black activists are not being victimized by their intentions for creating Facebook; they’re being victimized by Facebook’s actions and policies. It’s Facebooks swift action against posts by black people that challenge whiteness for hate crimes and the actions that they don’t take to protect marginalized individuals from bigotry that underpins their white supremacist ethos.
Black people from all over the world must come together and in the ultimate act of savagery, organize and mobilize against Facebook, on Facebook; to send a clear message that we will not boycott because of all that we’ve invested into growing this platform but will also no longer tolerate being silenced and discriminated against.
Thabi Myeni is student and member of the Black First Land First movement in South Africa.
This article previously appeared in Pambazuka News
Article Appeared @https://www.blackagendareport.com/south-africa-facebook-still-censoring-black-activists