Twitter Black is a cultural identity consisting of Twitter users "black" from around the world on Twitter social networks focusing on issues of interest to the black community, especially in the United States. Feminista Jones described it in Salon as a collection of active Twitter users, especially African-Americans who have created virtual communities... [and] proven adept at bringing sociopolitical changes. "Similar Black Twitter communities grew up in South Africa in early 2010. Although Black Twitter has a strong black user base, people and other groups can become part of this social media circle through commonality in shared experiences and reactions to the online. This continues to be the point of contradiction and division today.
Video Black Twitter
User base
According to a 2015 report by the Pew Research Center, 28 percent of African-Americans use the Internet using Twitter, compared with 20 percent of white, non-Hispanic Americans. By 2018, this gap has shrunk, with 26 percent of all African American adults using Twitter, compared with 24 percent of white adults and 20 percent of Hispanic adults. In addition, in 2013 11 percent of African-American Twitter users say they use Twitter at least once a day, compared with 3 percent of white users.
User and social media researcher AndrÃÆ' Â © Brock of the University of Iowa dated the first time to publish comments on the use of Twitter Black to a 2008 article by Anil Dash blogger, and a 2009 article by Chris Wilson at The Root The viral success of Twitter joke memes like #YouKnowYoureBlackWhen and #YouKnowYoureFromQueens are primarily intended for Black Twitter users. Brock cites the first reference to the Black Twitter community - as "Late Night Black People Twitter" and "Black People Twitter" - in the November 2009 article "What Black People Talk About on Twitter Last Night?" by Choire Sicha, founder of the current-current website The Awl . Sicha described it as "large, organic and... seemingly nocturnal" - in fact, active all the time.
Kyra Gaunt, an early user who participated in Black Twitter who also became a social media researcher, shared a reaction to black users in the first 140 Charter Conference (# 140Conf) which took place on November 17, 2009 at O2 Indigo in London. The sliding deck offers examples of racist reactions to the #Thatsafrican topics that began trending in July 2008. He and other users claim that trending topics are censored by the platform. He and other Black Twitter users started blogging and micro-blogging about the identity of Twitter Black. Blogging that led to the emergence of decent media about Twitter. Social media researcher Sarah Florini prefers to discuss interactions between these user communities as "enclaves".
Reciprocity and community
An article in August 2010 by Farhad Manjoo in Slate , "How Black People Use Twitter," takes the community to wider attention. Manjoo writes that young blacks seem to use Twitter in a certain way: "They form a tighter group on the network - they are easier to follow each other, they retweet more often, and more of their posts are @ warning - writing directed at other users. "Manjoo cites Brendan Meeder of Carnegie Mellon University, who argues that a high level of reciprocity among hundreds of users who initiated hashtags (or" blacktags ") leads to a very dense and influential network.
Furthermore, the 2014 dissertation by Meredith Clark studies the topic of African American practice of creating hashtags on Twitter by stating that most people use it to "test their opinions with the assurance that they are shared in a space where fundamental values ​​are still agreed". He explains that users on Black Twitter have started using hashtags as a way to attract community members with the same ideals for a single conversation to interact with each other and feel as if they are engaged in a "safe space". Clark characterizes that the use of Black Twitter is very important for the group because the conversation helps "unify the hashtag as a recognizable cultural artefact in the minds of the Black Twitter participants and individuals with no knowledge of the initial discussion". He argues that the hashtag has been diverted from serving as a method of setting the conversation between separate parties with the underlying reasons behind how users outside of Black Twitter learn about the thoughts and feelings of African Americans in the world today.
The Manjoo article on Slate invites criticism from American and Africana Studies academic Kimberly C. Ellis (Twitter @drgoddess user). He concluded that most of the articles had been over-generalized, and published his response entitled "Why 'They' Did not Understand What Blacks Do on Twitter." Referring to the diversity of blacks on Twitter, he said, "[I] it is not clear that Slate is not just, but the rest of mainstream America has no real idea who the blacks are, no real hints about our humanity, in general [.. for us , Twitter is an electronic medium that allows sufficient flexibility for unobstructed and imaginative creativity while demonstrating more of the power of social media that allows us to build communities. [...] In fact, we talk to each other AND we broadcast messages to the world , then the popularity of Topic Trends and Twitter usage, huh? "Ellis says that the most appropriate response he has seen to the Slate article is that by Twitter @InnyVinny users, who make the point that" blacks not a monolith "and then presented a variety of brown Images of Twitter birds on his blog site to express a diverse range of Black Twitter users; hashtag #browntwitterbird soon becomes viral, because users are adopting or suggesting new Twitter birds.
According to Shani O. Hilton (@shani_o) writing in 2013, the hallmark of Black Twitter is that its members "a) are interested in race issues in news and pop culture and b) A LOT tweet." He added that while the community includes thousands of black Twitter users, actually "not everyone on Black Twitter is black, and not every black person on Twitter uses Twitter Black". He also notes that the viral coverage and focus of the Twitter hashtag has changed it from only a source of entertainment, and an object of inner curiosity, to "cultural power in itself... Now, blacks on Twitter not only affect online conversations, they create it. "
Apryl Williams and Doris Domoszlai (2013) also stated, "There is no single identity or set of characteristics that determine Black Twitter.As with all cultural groups, Black Twitter is dynamic, containing multiple perspectives and identities We regard Black Twitter as a social construct made by a community of self-selecting users to describe aspects of black American society through the use of their Twitter platform.Not everyone on Black Twitter is black, and not everyone black is represented by Black Twitter. "
Signifyin'
Feminista Jones argues that the historical roots of Twitter's Black culture are spiritual, or work songs, sung by slaves in the United States, when discovering a universal means of communication is essential for survival and grassroots organizations.
Some authors see Black Twitter's interaction as a signifying form, a play of words involving metaphors such as irony and hyperbole. AndrÃÆ' Â © Brock states that the Black Tweeter is a marker, while the hashtag is a marker, a sign and a sign, "marking... a concept to be marked, a cultural context in which the tweet should be understood, and a 'call' awaiting a response." He writes: Tweet-as-signifyin ', then, can be understood as discursive, public performance of Black identity. "
Sarah Florini from UW-Madison also interprets Black Twitter in a signifying context. He writes that races are usually "strongly bound by corporeal markers"; In the absence of the body, black users display their racial identity through word games and other languages ​​that show knowledge of black culture. Black Twitter has become an important platform for this show.
Florini notes that the specific construction of Twitter itself contributes to African-American ability to signify on Twitter Black. He argues that "Twitter's architecture creates a participant structure that accommodates important functions of the audience during signifyin '". By being able to view replies and retweet each other, the user base can together take part in an extended dialogue in which everyone tries to participate in the sign. In addition, Florini added that "Twitter mimics another key aspect of how games signifyin 'traditionally played - speed". In particular, retweets and replies can be sent so quickly that they replace the needs of the audience members to interact directly.
In addition, the practice of signifying creates a signal that one enters a communicative collective space rather than functioning as an individual. Tweets become part of Black Twitter by responding to calls in the tags. Hashtag embodies the performance of darkness through the transmission of racial knowledge into word games. Sarah Florini in particular focuses on how active self-identification of darkness rejects the idea of ​​post-racial society by disrupting the narrative of the color-blind people. The rejection of the post-racial society is related to collective performance practices by turning the narrative such as the Republican National Party's declaration of Rosa ending racism into a moment of criticism and ridicule in the guise of the game. The times in which the performance of darkness satisfies social criticism allows the spaces of activism to be created. The Republican Party then canceled their statements to acknowledge that racism has not ended.
Manjoo refers to the hashtags that the black community uses as "blacktags", quoting Westunde Thurston, then from The Onion , which argues that blacktag is a version of dozens. Also an example of signifyin ', this is a popular game with African Americans where the participants beat each other by throwing humiliations back and forth ("Yo momma so bowlegged, she looks like a bite of a donut," "Yo momma sent her a picture to a lonely heart club, but they sent it back and said, 'We are not that lonely! ' "). According to Thurston, short tweet and instant feedback means Twitter fits perfectly with African call and response tradition.
Maps Black Twitter
Influence
After becoming the topic of the SXSW Interactive 2012 panel led by Kimberly Ellis, Black Twitter became wider public attention in July 2013, when it was credited for terminating a book deal between Seattle literary agency and one of the judges in George Zimmerman's trial. Zimmerman - who has just been arrested and charged after a large-scale social media campaign including a Twitter-circulating petition that attracts millions of signatures - was controversially released from allegations stemming from a February 2012 photo shoot of Trayvon Martin, a black teenager in Florida. Black Twitter's quick response to the jury's proposed book, spearheaded by Twitter user Genie Lauren (@MoreAndAgain), who launched the change.org petition, generated coverage on CNN.
The community was also involved in June 2013 in protest to a company that sells products by Paula Deen, a celebrity chef, after she was accused of racism, reportedly resulting in a loss of millions of dollars worth of business. The hashtag #paulasbestdishes game started by author and humorist Tracy Clayton (@brokeymcpoverty) became viral.
In August 2013, anger on Black Twitter over Harriet Tubman's video "sex parody" that Russell Simmons had posted on Def Comedy Jam's website persuaded Simmons to remove his video; he apologized for his mistake in the assessment.
#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen
Tagar #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen was created by feminist feminist blogger/writer Mikki Kendall in response to Hemo Schwyzer's Twitter feminist commentary, a critique of mainstream feminism as catering to the needs of white women, while black feminist concerns are pushed to the side. Hashtag and subsequent conversations have become part of the Black Twitter culture. In Kendall's own words: "#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen starts in frustration. [...] When I launch the hashtag # SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen, I think it will be a discussion between people affected by the latest problematic behavior of the main white feminist. This is intended as a Twitter abbreviation for how often color feminists are told that the racism they feel they are experiencing is 'not a feminist problem'. The first few tweets reflect the profound personal impact of this long-running structural problem. "
#IfTheyGunnedMeDown
After Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson shot dead unarmed citizen Michael Brown, a high school student in Houston, Texas, named Tyler Atkins tweeted his informal photo of himself in casual wear including a T-shirt and a bandana, and a second photo of him posing with precious saxophone. Atkins claims that if the police shoot him, the media will broadcast a photo of him wearing a T-shirt and a bandana and not a picture of himself posing with his saxophone. #IfTheyGunnedMeDown spreads virally in the course of worldwide social media attention paid to the Ferguson crisis. The Hashtag was posted several hundred times in the weeks following Atkins' initial use.
#MigosSaid
The call and response aspects of the game where users work to beat others are exemplified in the making of Blacktag, #MigosSaid. Black Twitter is involved in public display using oral tradition to criticize pop culture hierarchy. This movement comes from the initial tweet on June 22, 2014, when @Pipe_Tyson tweeted, "Migos the best musical group since The Beatles." This triggers an online joke where users start using hashtag #MigosSaid to check out the lyrics of popular rap groups. Although the game can be seen as a joke, it is also a critique of popular representations of black artists. The fun-made Hashtag was used to offer counter arguments against the views of The Beatles and other popular white music figures more culturally relevant than their black counterparts.
#BlackLivesMatter
Tags #BlackLivesMatter was created in 2013 by activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. They feel that African-Americans are receiving unfair treatment by law enforcement. Alicia Garza explains the hashtag as follows: "Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black's life is systematically and deliberately targeted for death It is an affirmation of the contribution of blacks to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in face a deadly oppression. "
#OscarsSoWhite
Tags #OscarsSoWhite was originally created in 2015 in response to the 87th Academy Awards lack of diversity among the nominees in the main categories. Hashtag was used again when the nomination was announced for the 88th Academy Awards the following year. The government of April, activist and former lawyer, who is credited with starting a hashtag, tweeted, "It's actually worse than last year." Best Documentary and Best Original Screenplay, that's it. # OscarsSoWhite. " In addition, he included that no acknowledged actor Straight Outta Compton of African-American was recognized, while the Caucasian scriptwriter received the nomination.
#SayHerName
Tags #SayHerName was created in February 2015 as part of the gender inclusive racial justice movement. Movement campaign for black women in the United States against anti-Black violence and police violence. Gender-specific ways of black women affected by police brutality and anti-Black violence are highlighted in this movement, including the specific impact of black black women and transgenic trans females. Hashtag gained more popularity and the movement gained more momentum after Sandra Bland's death in police custody in July 2015. The Hashtag is usually used with #BlackLivesMatter, reinforcing the intersexality of the movement.
#IfIDieInPoliceCustody
#IfIDieInPoliceCustody is another hashtag that started trends after Sandra Bland's death. In tweets, people ask what do you want people to know about you if you died in police custody?
#ICantBreathe
The #ICantBreathe tag was made after police assassination of Eric Garner and grand jury decision not to indict Daniel Pantaleo, police officer who strangled Garner to death, on December 3, 2014. "I can not breathe" are Garner's last words and can be heard on the recording video of the arrest leading to his death. Hashtag tends for days and gets attention outside of Twitter. Basketball players, including Lebron James, wore T-shirts with words for heating on December 8, 2014.
#HandsUpDontShoot
Tags #HandsUpDontShoot was made after police shot Michael Brown and grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson, white cop Ferguson officer who shot Brown, on November 24, 2015. Witnesses claimed that Brown raised his hand and handed over when Wilson shot him fatal. However, this information is considered not credible in the face of contradictory testimonies and influences the jury's decision. Hands up, do not shoot is the slogan used by the Matter Black Life movement and is used during the protests after the verdict. The slogan is supported by members of St. John's football team. Louis Rams, who entered the field when the National Football League game lifted their hands. Using hashtags on Twitter is a form of showing solidarity with those who protest, showing resistance to the decision, and bringing attention to police brutality. The #HandsUpDontShoot tag is instantly equated with #PantsUpDontLoot when peaceful protests turn into looting and wild bombing on the same night.
#BlackOnCampus
Tagar #BlackOnCampus began in the context of the University of Missouri protests 2015-16 (which involved the resignation of some university officials), as well as other demonstrations at Ithaca College in New York, Smith College in Massachusetts, and Claremont McKenna College in California. Hashtag became an online discussion of racial inequalities on campuses, particularly microagressions, which some people say are often overlooked by Caucasian administrators and students. This chirp explains the struggles experienced by some black students at school and is seen as a call to action to address structural racism on campuses.
Reception
Jonathan Pitts-Wiley, a former writer for The Root, warned in 2010 that Black Twitter was just a piece of contemporary African-American culture. "For those who are not inside," he wrote, "this is some kind of inside view on the part of the black American way of thinking.I want to be special about it - it's just a piece of it.Unfortunately, maybe it's a snippet that confirms what people have been thinking about black culture. "
Daniella Gibbs Leger (@ dgibber123), writes in the 2013 article HuffPost Black Voices that "Black Twitter is the real thing.This is often funny (as with Paula Deen's hashtag recipe), sometimes the humor comes with a bit of a sting (see the hashtag associated with Don Lemon). "Referring to the controversy over Tubman's video, he concludes," 1. Do not mess with Black Twitter because it will come for you 2. If you'll post a joke that's really true, really offensive, take 10 minutes and really think about 3. There are some really funny and clever people on Twitter.And 4. Look at the number 1. "
Criticism
Label
While Black Twitter is used as a way to communicate within the black community, many people outside the community and inside do not understand the need to label it. This can be a subtle way to separate blacks on Twitter. On this issue, Meredith Clark, a professor at the University of North Texas who studies the black online community, remembers one user comment, "Black Twitter is just Twitter."
Intersectionality
Additional criticism of Black Twitter is the lack of intersectionality. One such example is the tweets made after rapper, Tyga, portrayed with a transsexual actress, Mia Isabella. Alicia Garza, one of the founders of the Black Life movement, explained the importance of intersectionality and made it one of the priorities in this movement. He writes that many find a certain "charismatic black male" that is more interesting, leaving "sisters, strangers, trance and paralyzing [black] people [to] take a role in the background."
South Africa
Kenichi Serino writes at Christian Science Monitor that South Africa is experiencing a similar Black Twitter phenomenon, with black discourse on Twitter becoming increasingly influential. In a country with 11 official languages, Black Twitter users regularly embed words of content, atenXhosa, and Sesotho in their tweets. Twitter has 1.1 million users in South Africa in 2011. Tweeting is still a medium-sized activity in the country, where only 21 percent have access to the Internet, but according to journalist lecturer Unathi Kondile, blacks have been brought to Twitter as "platforms free online where black voices can express themselves and their views without editors or publishers deciding whether their views are important. "
# FeesMustFall
#FeesMustFall is the most significant hashtag on Twitter Black South Africa. It started with a student-led protest movement that began in mid-October 2015 in response to an increase in fees at South African universities. Protests also call for higher wages for low-income university staff working for private contractors such as campus cleanliness and security services and for them to be employed directly by universities.
Black Students took to Twitter to report about the protests because they believed that the media distorted their views and what the protests were. One of the most retweeted tweets of the protest was "The Revolution Will Not Be Scheduled, It Will Be Tweeted", the protest caused President Jacob Zuma of the ANC to make a statement in December 2017 stating that free education would be launched for the working class as well as lower classes, through a grant system.
#MenAreTrash
#MenAreTrash Tagar is another prominent topic in 2017 on Twitter South Africa. Colored women take to social media platforms to address issues such as rape, patriarchy and domestic violence.
See also
- Afrofuturism
Note
Further reading
- Arceneaux, Michael. "The Miseducation of Black Twitter: Why It's Not What You Think", ComplexTech , December 20, 2012.
- Editorial Staff. "Black Wikipedia Twitter page Gives the Power of Social Media Official Postage Stamps", Huffington Post, August 21, 2013.
- Greenfield, Rebecca. "Why Conservatives Like Black Twitter", Atlantic Wire , July 18, 2013.
- Telusma, Blue. "Study: Black Twitter Matters to the news media (although they do not admit it)", The Grio , February 27, 2018.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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