To my self-ordained, social media miltant “woke” folks that
end up making themselves look like unabashed dunces on
newsfeeds, timelines and comment sections everywhere…
I’d like to take some time to talk with you about the havoc
you’re causing among folks out here. Yes, you. Take the
looks of shock and indignation off your faces for a minute
or so, and please heed what I’m saying. We all know at least
one person out there who will, without fail, subscribe to
something so outlandish when it comes to people of color
to the point that when their false belief gets dismantled, they
will now double down and call YOU asleep. And these same
people will have folks screenshot their responses and laugh
at them on AND offline. All behind the premise of “stay woke”.
Usually this will happen when someone reposts a meme or
an article that has been thoroughly discounted, like the
infamous Facebook hoax that claims users will be paying $5.99
just to use the social media platform. Without fail, the hoax
goes viral and leaves some groaning loudly as they see others
post the same hoax on their page. But there’s a dangerous
element to this even if you’re laughing at your homeboy who
posts these things.
Why would I say it’s dangerous? Because few things hurt more
than misinformation passed off as truth because someone’s good
at Photoshop. Some folks in the community have to look at these
misleading themes and articles the same way one would view a
few kernels of corn that haven’t been digested in a pile of feces.
Just because you can spot one fact or truth you can easily recognize
or is accepted as truth doesn’t make everything else the truth.
There’s a three-point plan you have to develop in order to deal
with these things. First, if a story seems too absurd at the headline,
don’t trust it. The second point is, if the headline and story possess
a bit of truth but there’s something still nagging at you that leads
you to believe it is false, look at the sources quoted. Check out the
validity of these sources. Check out how trusted the site is for news
through sites like Snopes.com. Some websites are purposely created
just to mess with people in order to get traffic and thus, more web
generated profits. And lastly, think critically with regards to the first
two points. These things are key because anyone can be duped. I
know I have been at times.
The sad part about it is, we are in an age where there’s a multitude
of ways to get accurate information and facts to back up certain
points in research. But we are also in a digital age that’s been
spurred on by instant gratification. People don’t want to wait, for
any reason. Add to that the systemic attempts at the obliteration
of true history from the books themselves(i.e. claiming slaves forcibly
brought to the Americas and sold were “workers” in McGraw-Hill
textbooks seen in Texas this past week) and you understand why
some of these folks who spread false information willingly are a
menace. I had to wince earlier last week when I saw a meme that
was circulated claming that the Timberland company logo was
inspired by slaves being hung from a tree. The absolute horrific
tragedy of injustice and slavery doesn’t need historical fiction like
that because the reality was far, far worse and we’re just now in a
place where we can really surmise what that was. And that kind
of dangerous creation also can be found in memes denigrating Black
women as materialistic whores and sluts because they won’t submit
to a Black man in a lockstep fashion. Or memes that will claim that
a TV show is destroying the Black community when we all know
damn well the fingers behind said destruction are more focused on
gerrymandering districts and denying loans than a television series.
Also, Photoshop can be harmful in distorting people’s perception
with pictures. The only thing that I want to close this article with
is, think. Think. Think. And remember that if you’re going to go
around believing that you’re trying to help folks online that you know
or may not know, make sure you back yourself up with REAL facts
that you can verify and cite.