I have $110/$423 needed or my lease signing

paypal.com/paypalme/ourinsatia…

#MutualAidRequest #Disability #urgent #MutualAid #disabilitymutualaid #BlackMutualAid #crowdfunding #PWD #DisabilityCrowdFund #Queercrowdfund
#BlackMastodon #actuallyautistic #autism #HelpFolksLive2024 @mutualaid @mutual_aid

Whenever people ask "why can't Black people in America create vibrant commuities?" the answer is: they did. Multiple times. Those communities were just systematically wiped out by white supremacists. In the late 19th - early 20th century by racist mobs with the support of the Democrats. In the post-WWII era by racist urban planners with the support of the Republicans.

#BlackFedi #BlackMastodon #BlackTwitter #Blackademia

youtube.com/watch?v=2OWSre7dNb…

Sensitive content Click to open/close

First a summary, jump to the bottom for action steps

In recent days, folks such as @ErickaSimone, @KimCrayton1, @timnitGebru (lmk if you want to be untagged from this post) and many, MANY more have been speaking out about how toxic fedi culture is for Black folks and how the tools we have access to just aren't enough.

In response, we've been seeing an outpouring of antiblack harassment directed towards them and others from a wide range of instances on the fediverse. This is nothing new, although it has meant a lot of extra work for mod teams who are trying to keep their users safe from this harassment.

This always happens when Black folks, particularly Black women and Black queers, speak up about their experience on the fediverse and Mastodon specifically. They get met with straight up denial, minimization, victim blaming, you name it.

After @are0h spoke up about how the team at Mastodon does not prioritize safety and someone offered to contribute $10k per year and fundraise more specifically for safety features, here was a response from one of the official team members at Mastodon:

oisaur.com/@renchap/1128795535…

It's clear what their priorities ARE and ARE NOT. They know what it's like for Black folks on here, and it's just not that big of a problem for them. Suggestions and offers for assistance are ignored and urgency is met with admonishments for patience. Clearly, us going to them ain't making a difference, so I won't advise we dogpile them about it (not because it would be "wrong" necessarily but obvs it won't work).

So, what can you do about it?

At this point, I am joining a growing chorus of Black folks on this platform who are seeking a better alternative. A project that takes safety seriously and builds infrastructure with the needs of oppressed folks CENTERED rather than MARGINALIZED.

We need a hard fork. And it just so happens that some folks are already hard at work cooking one up, but they can't do it alone. Along with general support, they need funding.

You can see @are0h's March blog post about it here:

h-i.works/2024/04/a-case-for-c…

Or, if you prefer a simple donation link, you can go here:

gofundme.com/f/a-new-way-to-so…

We're getting tired of playing whack-a-mole with white supremacists on the fediverse. We need something better. We need your help.

If what you've been seeing upsets you, if you are anywhere near as fed up as I am, if you want to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem, here is something simple and concrete you can do.

Thanks for reading.

@blackfedi
#BlackMastodon #BlackFedi #BlackFediverse

A Case for Community

Because it should be easy.

^h-i.works

Sensitive content Click to open/close

Do you, or have you ever, used a graphical user interface? If you use #Windows, #macOS, or any version of #Linux with a window manager or desktop environment, you can thank Dr. Clarence "Skip" Ellis.

Dr. Ellis worked at Xerox PARC, the research organization that developed the modern GUI. Icons, windows, the mouse, Ethernet-based networking, laser printing - all of these (and more) came out of PARC. Dr. Ellis led the team that created Officetalk, the first program to use icons and the Internet. He got his start at 15 years old showing a local tech company how to reuse punch cards, which was a game-changer back in 1958.

Oh, and he was also the first black man to earn a PhD in Computer Science.

#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackHistory #BlackMastodon #ComputerScience @blackmastodon

elective.collegeboard.org/clar…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence…
redhat.com/en/command-line-her…

Gun control is a contentious issue in the United States. Its origins are complex, tied to a history of racial tension, political power dynamics, & competing interpretations of the Second Amendment. One significant chapter in this history is the emergence of the Black Panther Party and their role in the gun control debate.

1/

Print Archive: 400years.substack.com/

Video:Archive: m.youtube.com/channel/UCxj8rDA…

#BlackMastodon #History

Image: Black Panther Party by Alfredo Rostgaard (1943-2004)

HUGE BREAKTHROUGH, ESPECIALLY FOR SUB SAHARAN AFRICA

BBC News - Malaria vaccine big advance against major child killer
bbc.co.uk/news/health-66985273

#BlackMastodon
#BlackTwitter
#Africa

Malaria vaccine big advance against major child killer

Deals are in place to make 100 million doses of the vaccine each year to fight the complex disease.

^{By James Gallagher (BBC News)}

In 1920, Mamie Smith became the FIRST Black American to record a Blues song. "Crazy Blues” ushered in a new era of "race records.” Previously, white singers copied Black vocal styles in blues recordings, while Black entertainers like Ma Rainey, Ethel Waters, & Bessie Smith were confined to the "Chitlin Circuit." Mamie Smith’s success paved the way for black blues & jazz musicians to thrive.

youtu.be/OiJrBgbwsJw

1/

@blackmastodon@a.gup.pe @BlackMastodon@chirp.social #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #music

Joseph Laroche was the only black person of the Titanic’s 2,223 passengers & crew. On April 10, 1912, he joined the ship with his family at Grande Rade harbor, France. Despite enjoying the ship's lavish offerings & dining 1st class, the family faced scorn b/c of their interracial marriage. He went down with the ship. Later, White Star Line apologized for the racism of its crew towards non-white passengers.

1/5


@blackmastodon@a.gup.pe
@BlackMastodon@chirp.social
#BlackMastodon #History #histodons #Titanic

Hey, Black Authors!

If you're currently completing a book-length manuscript on Black women’s history, applications for the Black Women's History Series Incubator are open.

About the Black Women’s History Series Incubator: uncpressblog.com/2023/05/03/an…

Apply here: uncpress.org/black-womens-hist…

#BlackWriters
#BlackAuthors
#BlackWomen
#BlackHistory
#BlackFedi
#BlackFediverse
#BlackMastodon

@blackmastodon@a.gup.pe
@BlackMastodon@chirp.social

Announcing the Black Women's History Series Incubator - UNC Press Blog

We are excited to announce the Black Women’s History Series Incubator! The incubator is open to authors who are currently completing a book-length manuscript on Black women's history.

^{Brock Schnoke (UNC Press)}

Also for #BlackFriday I've found another streamer! I first saw Peas last night on #GamesDoneQuick, livestreaming Mario Kart 8 DLC and that Puyo game with surprisingly deep lore.

twitch.tv/peassmb

#Twitch #BlackMastodon #BlackFediverse

PeasSMB - Twitch

I'm Peas! I am a Super Monkey Ball speedrunner known for Banana Blitz HD; I also play numerous games from franchises such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Mario, Pokémon, and Puyo Puyo.

^Twitch

We normally promote the conference Tech Intersections: Women of Color in Computing on #Twitter but won't this year for obvious reasons.

Please help us spread the word about this #bipoc conference in #Oakland #California.

We're offering 20% off with promo code MASTODON. #BlackMastodon #BlackFriday

We are giving free tickets to people who have been laid off with promo code LAIDOFF.
techintersections.org

The event includes an #ally skills workshop for supporters of #woc.

A black man wrongfully jailed for a week in Louisiana after face recognition error, report says. Lawyer says police didn't check man's height, weight or the mole on his face.

#blackmastodon #facialrecognition

peopleofcolorintech.com/articl…

Facial Recognition Tech Used To Jail Black Man For Louisiana Theft - He's Never Been To Louisiana

A Georgia man spent almost a week in jail after Louisiana police wrongly identified him as a fugitive using facial recognition software.

^{Samara Linton (POCIT. Telling the stories and thoughts of people of color in tech.)}

I wrote this in Feb. of 2022, but IMO, this list still remains relevant:

aninjusticemag.com/f-ck-racism…

#BlackMastodon
#Podcast
#NewYear2023

F*ck Racism: 50 Black Podcast Alternatives To Joe Rogan

Because freedom of speech definitely includes choosing not to listen to racist rhetoric and misinformation.

^{Rod T. Faulkner (An Injustice!)}

Today's principle is Ujima, "collective work and responsibility."

Short and sweet: If your pro-Blackness dehumanizes the further marginalized, it's fucking trash. Looking at you, hoteps.

Which makes an awkward segue into Queer Kwanzaa, or Kuchu Qwanzaa, "a 7-day celebration and expression of Black LGBTQIA+ cultural principles, values, and ideals."

You can learn more about it here: kuchuqwanzaa.com/daily-breakdo…

#BlackMastodon #Kwanzaa #KuchuQwanzaa

1/3

15 Famous Black Architects - First African-American Architects

Most people can’t name one black architect, here’s a list of 15 great black pioneering architects, including Beverly Loraine Greene, first black female architect.

#BlackHistoryEveryDay #BlackMastodon #BlackTwitter

veranda.com/home-decorators/g3…

15 Pioneering Black Architects Who Shaped America

Their work, talent, and perseverance paved the way for future Black design professionals—and so much more.

^{Steele Marcoux (Veranda)}

Alright, I've been busy working on scaling up my ability to deploy Mastodon. If you need help setting up Mastodon and want to support a team of Black developers checkout our project 👇🏿

my.partyon.xyz/

#PartyOn #MastodonAdmin #BlackMastodon 🖤

My.PartyOn - Mastodon Managed Hosting

Operate branded instance from your own domain name, without becoming a Cloud expert

^{my.partyon.xyz}

Kamoinge is a group of black Photographers who formed in 1963.
Their mission statement: "Honour, document, preserve, & represent the history & culture of the African Diaspora with integrity & respect for humanity through the lens of Black Photographers"
This wonderful work is important to counterbalance the whitewashing of #History by mainly white, middle-class historians/reporters throughout time.
#BlackHistory #Photography #BlackMastodon #AmericanHistory #BlackTwitter

kamoinge.com/history

The Hands of Miles Davis photographed by Irving Penn in 1986.

#BlackFriday #BlackMastodon #Photography #Jazz

Mastodon is “too hard…not user friendly…there’s nobody like me there.” Look, I’m from the old school who had to learn that thing that looked like a TV and a typewriter. And you had to type these long letters & numbers called URL. To get around you had to use something called a mouse that clicked on text called links. Where you said to your best bud so many times, Sis, what’s an internet??? Trust & believe, if we really want to, YES WE CAN.

#BlackMastodon #Mastodon

youtu.be/pPR-HyGj2d0

Patti Smith - People Have The Power

Patti Smith's official music video for 'People Have The Power'. Click to listen to Patti Smith on Spotify: http://smarturl.it/PattiSSpot?IQid=PHPAs featured ...

^YouTube

#FineFemmeFriday

This was the first tag I started on here

The aunties are skaters and the diaspora looks good
🇨🇻 🇵🇷

#blackgirlsskate #blackmastodon #blackfedi

I just let things Trend automatically on my server.

I am very content with the top 3 things.

#BlackMastodon

I hit 3000 plays on my Bandcamp

Makes me happy that folks have given my beats a chance

Even if you've listened once and thought "man, this shit is wack", thank you 🙏🏾

bluemarvelmusic.com

#blacktwitter #blackmastodon #blackfedi #music #hiphop #beats #beatmaker #musicproduction #musicproducer #bandcamp

#BlackInVideoGames #BlackFriday #BlackFedi #BlackFediverse #BlackMastodon

Sona, War-Chief of the Nora Tribe - Horizon: Zero Dawn

What it means when people exhort non-White peeps to “start your own instance” or go to another more suitable one—-the digital version of White Flight/segregation.

“[Mastodon risks] ghettoizing the Black community in a federated space. All of the Black people go here and [other] instances have the option of engaging with them or deeding from them.]”

#BlackTwitter #BlackMastodon #Inequality

techpolicy.press/the-whiteness…

The Whiteness of Mastodon

A conversation with Dr. Johnathan Flowers about Elon Musk's changes at Twitter and the dynamics on Mastodon, the decentralized alternative.

^{Justin Hendrix (Tech Policy Press)}

This is one of the best curated online ressources I know on black writings / panafricanism. Also a few videos in there. All material is gathered from the public domain, with some translations whenever available.

sunujournal.com/sunu-studies

"Part library, part digital classroom, SUNU Studies, an educational supplement to SUNU Journal, serves as a means to decentralize + democratize education concerning Pan-African culture, politics, society, economy and art."

#black #BlackMastodon #bipoc #decolonization

SUNU Studies — SUNU Journal

^{SUNU JOURNAL}