I’ve been using social media for a long time before Instagram, Facebook, and all the other fun apps that have cropped up since the evolution of social networks. And as social media continues to evolve, one trend will always endure, and that’s the public antagonization of Black women. To misogynoirists, Black women operate as a large group and not as fully autonomous individuals.

Whenever someone wants to trend or resurrect their waning notoriety, they resort to the tired formula of hopping on their platforms and making inflammatory statements about Black women. Whether it’s some grifter trying to expedite his rise through the Black manosphere ranks, a washed-up reality TV star, Black-fishing young white women influencers, or even other self-defeating Black women seeking acceptance. They spew bile about how horrible they think Black women are, most of us will take our various social media platforms to react, and that person trends...wash, rinse, repeat.

My belief has always been and continues to be that whatever resentment some stranger (or familiar) holds for Black women is none of my concern. It’s a personal problem they need to power through on their own, far away from me.

How Black women feed into the fuck-shit is our concern, however. And I’d like to suggest that (unless it places us at risk) we just pay it all dust. I see it for what it is. There are emotionally broken people on social media who are banking on evoking visceral reactions from us so that they can trend and generate an instant following. Energy vampirism, if you will. Unless responding to online misogynoir gets you clicks and views, and your reaction can be monetized because it is the premise of your platform, why bother? The person doubles down, and your blood pressure will just shoot up. Why allow losers to trend and make money at your expense? Let the hit dogs howl at the moon in their echo chambers. Misery loves company and there is no need to make an appearance at the shit show as a special guest.

Publicly rebuking Black women is de rigueur because most of the people doing the bashing have no power. They have not made any meaningful impact in their personal lives, are scraping the bottom of the barrel while posturing online, and are evading therapy for some reason.

It would behoove Black women to redirect the ire to tackle those concerns that genuinely impact our well-being and livelihoods and that could really use our voices.

Ask yourselves, “What would Stacey Abrams do?” and proceed accordingly. Contrary to what people say, Black women have made waves in important spaces, including politics, business, technology, and media. 

This spring, Goldman Sachs invested $10 billion in capital and $100 million in philanthropic capital to impact the lives of Black women with their One Million Black Women initiative. So, clearly, we can’t be that immaterial.

Let the dregs have the day they deserve to have, Black women, and continue to enjoy yours. 

 Anyway, I briefly spoke a few words about this on YouTube. Check it out.