Black Twitter DIVERSITY & INCLUSION | BLEACHER TALK 1990s How we got here 1995 MID - LATE 90S 1999 1999 BLACK VOICES (ON AOL) MESSAGE BOARDS OKAYPLAYER NIKE TALK Before we get into it, it’s important to have some context Articles and national news Black communities began Black Twitter’s origins can Much of sneaker culture around the history of Black people and social media in the relevant to Black communities forming spontaneously on be traced back to Okayplayer, as we know it came from were launched to instant opinionated message boards where conversations about enthusiasts perusing the age of the internet fanfare, featuring now- and forums for news, sports, Blackness and Black influence Nike Talk message boards, legendary chat rooms that set celebrity gossip, fashion, started to take shape. where their passion What you’re seeing (or will see) as it relates to Black the blueprint for what we see and hair care, catering to an influenced the corporate Twitter, isn’t anything new. There have been various in Black social media. African American perspective. and fashion world. iterations of what we today consider Black twitter Chatrooms on AOL Black Voices, message boards, Myspace, to Twitter and Vine. Within these environments, 2000s safe spaces (for lack of a better term) were fostered around a all kinds of topics specific to the AA experience 2003 2004 2006 and interests. MYSPACE FACEBOOK TWITTER In its prime, MySpace Facebook reigned as a highly popular site for the Twitter’s early days felt like encouraged self-expression, African American community, but since the 2016 a whole new world that It’s not unlike how Black people have historically something African Americans elections it has developed a reputation as a breeding Black users ran toward to communicated in real world spaces within a Black are often discouraged from ground for false information. On the other hand, the swap customization for exhibiting, by giving users the platform has also been known for connecting families, an ability to use hilarious neighborhood, church, barbershop, etc. ability to customize pictures, becoming a crucial part of Black life. hashtags to show off their friend lists, and backgrounds. creativity, lighting the stage With Twitter, the influence of African American’s on the for #BlackTwitter. platform has been uniquely impactful, due to over- representation on the platform (and the power to affect the algorithm that comes with that) 2010s At different points in the last five years, 25-28% of Twitter’s user base was Black. So the influence of African Americans 2010 2013 2014 2017 INSTAGRAM VINE TWITTER IN 2014+ TIKTOK on Twitter has been uniquely impactful, due to over- Instagram has become a What’s better than Black Twitter became a tool The latest social media representation on the platform and the power to affect the place for Black entrepreneurs Twitter? Black Twitter plus for Black liberation as phenomenon is no stranger and influencers to launch Vine launched a space for conversations around to the Black trends that turn algorithm that comes with that level of representation. businesses and tell stories Black creatives to test the police violence and social global. From “Renegade” to outside of traditional limits of their imaginations. justice movements were “The Box,” Black influence newsrooms. It’s also become The platform launched viral growing. Thanks to this, has played a lead role in the popular for Black youth as a videos such as, “The LeBron #BlackLivesMatter reached popularity of this new app. mobile-only app. James Kid” and “Yeet.” the mainstream. What is Black Twitter? Black Twitter (noun): network of culturally connected Twitter users that share culture, language, and specific interests with a Black frame of reference. It is not a separate Twitter app, though... There are several definitions, and all center around the cultural resonance and connectivity of self-selecting Black Twitter users. “How Black An early examination of what is now known as Black Twitter was a 2010 Slate article Titled “How Black People Use Twitter”. That article overgeneralized and accidentally People Use started the meme/trend you see on the right. In addition to being Black, Black people are LGBTQ, they’re entrepreneurs, they’re activists, lawyers, educators, etc. The article posited Black Twitter users Twitter” as a monolith. Once Black Twitter got wind of that article, the rest is history. Nonetheless, that article and the ensuing hashtags have been credited as the beginning of the term “Black Twitter”. Mainstream use of the phrase didn’t begin until early 2014. #blacktwitter “...this group that really is a cultural phenomenon, a group of people that identifies through the lens of Black culture. They’re able to discuss politics, pop culture, so many other topics daily through that lens of a very shared experience. And that experience so many times sets global trends around the world…” God-is Rivera — Twitter’s Global Director, Culture & Community Sample topics Black Twitter has played a significant To more lighthearted cultural and content role in driving conversations around critiques and trends, such as the more serious matters such as stardom of comedy duo Desus & fueled by highlighting the disregard for the Mero (which originated on Twitter), challenges of WOC within feminisms or the pseudo serious discussion Black Twitter defined “issues” around the pop culture relevance of the incredibly popular group Migos, Or BlackLivesMatter, the specifically juxtaposed with the movement that began in response Beatles to the unequal treatment of AAs by law enforcement (see also, #handsupdontshoot or #icantbreath) And from a advertising perspective, brands like Popeyes having a moment (or two) around the launch of their new chicken sandwich How does one become a part of Six Stage Process of Black Twitter? 6 being “Black Twitter” “I would say that Black Twitter is a community on Twitter that is mostly defined by the Black Self-Selection people who contribute to it. Not everyone who 1 contributes is Black, but they don’t define the It’s not the secret society... it’s just Twitter. group. There are Black people on Twitter who don’t contribute, they’re not Black Twitter” - @MoreAndAgain, 2013 • You, must have an account to be a part of the phenomenon • The degree to which one self-selects and scales their participation is up to them “...the crystallization of identity-maintenance strategies that members of the devalued Identification group (Blacks) use to elevate and reposition 2 themselves as an ingroup” - Meredith Clark • Identifying as a person (typically, a Black person) who is interested in the topic that is being discussed • Having background and comprehension on the topic at hand - Understanding Black cultural references, having shared experiences, and (sometimes) understanding AAVE, play a key role “...It’s about bringing things to the forefront that otherwise wouldn’t be. I don’t think that we Performance do it for mainstream news. It’s to bring it to a 3 wide audience. Not ‘I hope CNN brings this up,’ It’s a nice side benefit to these conversations.” -- @Blackamazon, 2013 • Deciding to actually participate in the conversation • Marked by a level of performance in conjunction with the topic - Use of a hashtag, building off of a trending meme, or more standard engagement like retweets, likes or saves • Again...tends to require a deep knowledge of cultural context “I see myself tweeting for ME. I like to talk, and I like to think that everything I say is important. Affirmation Since I know someone is following me, I’d like 4 to think that someone else might think it is important…” - @PresidentialHB, 2013 • As participants initially tweet to add their perspective, activity around the topic or discussion increases, and a back and forth takes place on the platform between users as a result • Shows other users that they’re not alone in the conversation AND they have influence within this communal structure “Twitter is public and Tweets are immediately viewable and searchable Re-Affirmation by anyone around the world.” 5 - @twitter Privacy Policy • Online discussion moves offline, centered around Twitter-based topics - Mainstream news coverage (i.e. Black Lives Matter, Sandra Bland, Zimmerman Trial Juror’s Book Deal...and yes, the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich phenomenon) - Panel discussions and other public forums that discuss topics created or elevated by Black Twitter “There’s too many other ways to get entertainment now than the tiny number of movies that get official academy recognition each year. #OscarsSoWhite is an alarm bell. 6Vindication It’s saying, “Keep up with us, or we’re going to leave you behind.” - Peter Ramsey (one of three directors of “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse”) • Gradual progress in recognizing diversity at the Oscars has been seen in recent years. • In 2019, people of color won in at least ten different categories. • Vindication of the network’s power through change can also be seen with the Zimmerman book deal being cancelled after a Twitter campaign calling to end it. What if I can’t The convos are a weird mix of public-private conversations. participate in These aren’t DMs or restricted message boards. There’s an opportunity to learn Black Twitter? from someone(s) w/o necessarily having to interact. Many times, the purpose of the conversations is to teach people things they didn’t know...take advantage of that. @GodisRivera @rodimusprime Accounts @JamilSmith @Jemelehill @desusnice to Check Out @deray @shaunking (or Follow) @brokeymcpoverty @THEKIDMERO @DragonflyJonez @Wayno119 @Crissles @Luvvie @Blavity @Blackbirds @rembert @jaboukie @AstasiaWill @IamGMJohnson Note: some will include explicit language Sources Washington Post - What is Black Twitter? Wikipedia - Black Twitter UVA Today - Black Twitter 101 The Atlantic - The Truth About Black Twitter AdWeek - How Twitter Turned the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Into a Viral Phenomenon To Tweet Our Own Cause: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Online Phenomenon “Black Twitter”, Meredith D.