"Our Goal is to Empower all Black Communities

[Troy]

I was on a website this morning whose stated mission is quoted in the subject of this post;

 

"Our goal is to empower all Black communities to invest in one [an]other."

 

I have added it to my site list  Black-owned websites, but I could not help but think this site has prominent links to Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Pinterest social media platforms!  Surely there are Black owned social media platforms we can promote.instead?

 

@NubianFellow can you list a few Black owned social media platforms that provide a social sharing icon that can be used by web sites that purportedly invest and empower Black communities?

 

At some point we HAVE to stop feeding the beast and recognize the fact that every time we prominently display the logos of Facebook and Twitter on our sites we providing FREE promotion for these sites (as if they need it) and telling the world we think these sites are important -- indeed more important than our own!  We are also are hurting our own indie websites in the process.

 

Now if I wanted to promote AALBC on that site that supposedly invests in Black folks, I better have some money!  Does anyone see how messed up this is? 

 

Sure, I understand why folks do it.  I have social haring buttons on AALBC. Markers say you have to be where audience is. However if your goal is to invest in one another we have to actually do that.

 

 

[NubianFellow]

@Troy That's a good point brother! There are none that I am aware of.

 

They way I see it, black people have reported racism on Facebook and even coined the term, "Facebook jail," which makes reference to being on a plantation that they don't want to escape from because they love the plantation so much! Add in the desire for inclusion and the need for validation which was actually the key concept behind the idea of Facebook in the first place, and you have a network that black people will fight to be on and create various profiles on so when their profiles get suspended, they don't miss out on the action! Facebook is powerful because it's psychological.

 

Add in the fact the "woke ones" using Facebook create "private" groups where they talk about white supremacy and even discuss ways to stay off the radar -- (on Facebook! Lol) and you can observe very interesting behavior. People then denounce Facebook while they ignore all other possibilities and even build up a false hype that protests Facebook with their fists waved proudly and express their desire for black social networks. The problem is that when the few of them that actually do join these "black" networks sign up, they actually expect these sites to mirror Facebook or Twitter in popularity and quantity of people on these websites (unless they are simply trolling the networks). And 99 percent or more of them will not promote these websites for free. Disappointed, they return back to their plantation and the cycle repeats.

 

The main thing Facebook and Twitter likes and shares provide at the moment is validation. Once you can include the fact that you have tons of shares and likes on Facebook, you are instantly validated. The problem with black social networks, I believe, is more of a behavioral issue.

 

Though there is a small group of black people who are actually sincere about supporting black social networks, the percentage seems to small to have an impact. I have also noticed that our social behavior has changed dramatically since Black Planet and Black Voices reigned supreme on the internet. I won't judge whether it is a good or bad thing but one thing I believe I am certain of is that most will not abandon their white friends and followers on mainstream social media to attend a less populated "black-only" website in the name of empowerment. They want inclusion.

 

The only way I see a major black website taking off is if black people get their stuff together. A team of empowered black individuals need to lead the movement, fully organized and dedicated to their cause. They need a powerful network and specific tasks appointed to the most qualified individuals for each task. All of those involved in the team should have experience and some type of success using a blogging platform or have some talent or skill they can contribute. With the right team and organization, anything is possible. I could be wrong, but the way in which most black websites are networked seem too small which is a huge problem for those websites.

 

Once a website becomes relevant enough, I am sure people will use the share functionality because for them it's going to be all about getting eyeballs. But that network's presence needs to be strong enough to show it is a valuable resource.

 

In order for black websites to be on top, they need to be ran similar to corporations.

 

We need to become excited about the concept of building and discover our true potential. The opportunity definitely exists. There is so much building to do and I believe we can eventually create our own version of the internet which runs our own algorithms that is based on our own needs and behavior. But being organized like how the military is organized when they go into battle is a requirement. We also need to understand the psychology of what we are dealing with.

 

On my own platform, someone has copied the share code to their own website that made it possible for people to share content from their own website to my platform.

[Troy]

19 hours ago, NubianFellow said:

On my own platform, someone has copied the share code to their own website that made it possible for people to share content from their own website to my platform.

 

Please post a link where one may find the share code.

 

19 hours ago, NubianFellow said:

There are none that I am aware of.

 

I actually did not expect that response.  I thought for sure there must be at least a few.

 

I don't think a Black-owned social network has to be used only by Black people. 

 

I welcome and encourage people of all backgrounds to enjoy what the site has to offer. But unless it is entertainment, white folks aren't lining up to consume our content -- certainly not with the vigor we consume theirs.