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Last month I wrote an essay in Outdoors cataloging my negative encounters with white people who "didn't expect to see me”: a Black man hiking Mt. Katahdin, the highest peak in Maine and a favorite destination of extreme hikers. During my many visits to Katahdin, I have been screamed at, accused of following people, questioned about why I was on the mountain, and treated with such hostility that I have questioned whether I was doing something illegal. I was not.
As misinformation and conspiracy theories reach a peak over the past week, there’s been heightened scrutiny on the role that QAnon plays in the conversations we see dominate social media. In response, on Tuesday, Facebook announced a blanket ban on any pages, groups, and Instagram accounts representing QAnon from its platforms (The Verge).
There are endless reports on the senior staffers who have contracted COVID-19 from the September 26 Rose Garden event. But there’s a lot less about the staff – particularly the residence staff – that have potentially been exposed to the virus. These essential workers, nearly all identifying as people of color, deserve to be represented in this narrative and protected at all costs. Unfortunately, stories of communities of color in the White House are often overlooked and forgotten – a practice consistent with its dark history.
As misinformation and conspiracy theories reach a peak over the past week, there’s been heightened scrutiny on the role that QAnon plays in the conversations we see dominate social media. In response, on Tuesday, Facebook announced a blanket ban on any pages, groups, and Instagram accounts representing QAnon from its platforms (The Verge).
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Earlier this month, the state of California sued Activision Blizzard after a two-year investigation confirmed the organization had maintained a toxic workplace environment that’s hostile to women (Polygon). The company, which has created blockbuster games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Call of Duty, initially denied allegations, causing tensions to flare with consumers and employees alike. Hundreds of employees walked out to protest the company’s response (The Verge). The details of this particular lawsuit are incendiary but certainly not unique. There’s been a persistent lack of representation and inclusivity in the video game industry since its inception which has influenced how the gaming industry has treated marginalized employees and consumers.
Over the past month, many Black social media creators organized a strike to stop creating and posting dance choreography on the social media app TikTok. The social media app is built around reposting and remixing content from other creators, and a popular feature is learning and recording dances to trending songs. When Black female rapper Megan Thee Stallion released her new song, “Thot Shit,” on June 11, many Black creators agreed not to create choreography.
Cameras have been historically calibrated for lighter skin. When color film was developed, the first model to pose for camera calibration in photo labs was a woman named Shirley Page. After that, all color calibration cards were nicknamed “Shirley cards.” For decades, the “Shirley cards” featured only white women and were labeled “normal.” It wasn’t until the 1970s that Kodak started testing cards with Black women (NPR). They released Kodak GoldMax, a film advertised as being able to photograph “a dark horse in low light” – a thinly veiled promise of being able to capture subjects of color in a flattering way (NYTimes).