Monthly Archives: February 2015

Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 10 – Intersectionality – Get Used To It

@LeslieMac & Ricky from @AUADOTORG are joined by Phoenix Calida & William J Jackson to discuss the history, effect and ways to address intersectionality in the Black Lives Matter movement. Plus #BrandonTateBrown case update, DOJ decision on George Zimmerman & CT Moral Monday.

Subscribe to the Ferguson Response Network Podcast via:

Join the Movement:

Host Contact:

LeslieMac

Ricky L. Hinds II

Guest Contact:

Phoenix Calida

William J Jackson

Continue reading Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 10 – Intersectionality – Get Used To It

Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 9 – The Sociology of White Supremacy

Ricky from @AUADOTORG takes the reigns while @LeslieMac is sick and is joined by John Pennymon & Molly from The Pennymon Doctrine & Tim Druck to discuss the sociology of white supremacy.

Subscribe to the Ferguson Response Network Podcast via:

Join the Movement:

Host Contact:

LeslieMac

Ricky L. Hinds II

Guest Contact:

Tim Druck

John & Molly from The Pennymon Doctrine Podcast

Continue reading Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 9 – The Sociology of White Supremacy

Musts This Week – Feb 22, 2015 – Ferguson Response Network

This week saw a wide range of actions honoring Malcolm X, protesting recent killings by law enforcement and marking the 3 months since Tamir Rice was killed in Cleveland. Below are some of the must see videos, hashtags & articles the Ferguson Response Network came across this week:

Must Watch Videos:

American Policing: Lessons on Resistance with:
@MychalSmith @brownblaze @PhilofDreams_ @dantebarry & @Awkward_Duck

Ta-Nehisi Coates at Washington University

Must Read Articles:

Continue reading Musts This Week – Feb 22, 2015 – Ferguson Response Network

Exposure Trolling – Catching Fire & Pissing Me Off

This post concerns a phenomenon I have dubbed exposure trolling. Exposure trolling is the use of blatant & deliberate acts to antagonize, offend & infuriate black people for the sole purpose of gaining clicks, views, trending & monetary gain via social media. Some would, instead of indulging in trolling, would look to make use of socialfollow services. I hear socialfollow helps you grow your instagram followers to improve your following without offending people.

Some businesses that have YouTube channels would use a more legitimate route, such as tools from somewhere like Get Fans in order to reach and grow their audience. They can use this service to buy youtube subscribers and use YouTube’s SEO to expose their business to potential audiences without resorting to offensive behavior.

It’s also important to note if you’re looking to increase your Instagram followers in an ethical way, you must make sure you’re protected and that your passwords are secure and not simply, ‘Password123!’. Trust me, you wouldn’t believe the number of people who have that as a password. While you’re changing your password, you could also install some decent Antivirus software to stop hackers getting any confidential data. To learn more, you may want to take a look at websafetyadvice.com.

I think it’s important to note where I believe exposure trolling reached it’s the official start because while there were previous social media hashtags and tweets that pissed black people off, prior to December 16th, these were for the most part accidental in nature and the result of poor social media & marketing planning. If you don’t want to be associated with these trends, but you’re looking to reach out to new people to increase your followers, then, you may need to look into one of the instagram managers like UpLeap for some help getting your followers from 100 to 10000.

That all changed a few months ago when CNN hosted an on-air forum with law enforcement officers entitled “Police Under Fire” and invited the public to submit questions via twitter using the hashtag #AskACop.

Continue reading Exposure Trolling – Catching Fire & Pissing Me Off

Research Woes – What does Yuvette Henderson’s smile look like?

This is an expanded version of a post I made on Facebook regarding the research I do curating http://blackfemalelivesmatter.tumblr.com/ – a commemorative tumblr dedicated to documenting the lives of black women lost at the hands of law enforcement.

I am not a researcher by trade and don’t particular enjoy the work. But I’ve found that a large part of ensuring that #BlackLivesMatter is in documenting what is happening to black people and that requires research. So below I walk you through the general process and the frustrating & infuriating obstacles associated with this documentation. I truly PRAY for a day when we won’t have to do this anymore – but until that day….

Continue reading Research Woes – What does Yuvette Henderson’s smile look like?

Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 8 – Clergy Conversation

@LeslieMac & Ricky from @AUADOTORG are joined by a diverse group of faith leaders to discuss the complexities, possibilities & challenges presented to Clergy in the Black Lives Matter Movement. We had the pleasure to welcome Kyle Oliver, Daniel José Older, Rev. Jane, UnrulyRev & Bishop Dwayne Royster for this enlightening conversation.

Subscribe to the Ferguson Response Network Podcast via:

Join the Movement:

Host Contact:

LeslieMac

Ricky L. Hinds II

Guest Contact:

Kyle Oliver

Daniel José Older

Rev. Jane

Rev Julie

Bishop Dwayne Royster

Continue reading Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 8 – Clergy Conversation

Why I share difficult stories (& you don’t see my dogs pics anymore)

In talking with a group of amazing activists recently we collectively noted a phenomenon I have dubbed “Operation Isolation” (This topic is also discussed on the most recent Ferguson Response Podcast.)

Operation Isolation is defined as the severe & sudden lack of communication, contact & interaction between activists/organizers within the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and their “friends” in the real world. What used to be robust communication with invitations to lunch, movie nights & just “hey what’s going on” text messages have devolved into a deafening SILENCE on the part of those we all used to consider friends and family.

If you have a friend in the BLM movement who you have been distant with or felt uncomfortable around, THIS BLOG POST IS FOR YOU!

Please take a minute to think how they have been feeling. Iced out & isolated from people who just a few months ago were a robust part of their lives. Imagine the feeling of the silent phone, the empty email inbox. The thought that comes with those feelings is that these people you love, never really loved you at all. It is a horrible feeling and it has made us all feel the sacrifice of this work to the fullest.

BUT, I have faith in you, our non-movement active friends. I have faith that you can read this post and remember that person who loved dry martini’s, or who always talked you into getting the crazy blue nail polish at the salon, or the one who liked to sneak into the next movie so you could spend a little more time together laughing in the dark or the one whose name was the first one your daughter learned.

I have asked a few of my own friends why they seem so silent when I post things about my fight for justice, but the minute I post a selfie in front of the art museum or a cute photo of my dogs, here come the likes, the comments, the interaction? After some slightly awkward “ums” & “what do you means” a few similar responses were expressed:

  • “I don’t know what to say”
  • “It gets tiring to read all of that constantly”
  • “You seem like a different person now”
  • “It seems like that’s all you post now”

I’m pretty good at taking constructive criticism, and thought a lot of about those general answers – so let’s talk about them here:

Continue reading Why I share difficult stories (& you don’t see my dogs pics anymore)

Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 7 – Hashtag Hangover

@LeslieMac & Ricky from @AUADOTORG are joined by De from @theCAPV & John from @TPDpodcast to discuss Yale Univ sounds like Ferguson to us, Norfolk State dog attack, Jeff Roorda Untouchable White Man, why/how we need to get the story straight, #hashtaghangover, Operation Isolation plus highlight to the Faces of the Movement project.

Subscribe to the Ferguson Response Network Podcast via:

Join the Movement:

Host Contact:

LeslieMac

Ricky L. Hinds II

Guest Contact:

John Pennymon

De Jaqueline Young

Continue reading Ferguson Response Network Podcast – Episode 7 – Hashtag Hangover