if it's over, we had a time.
the rapid demise of twitter + reads & vibes for your weekend
Hi, welcome. Thank you for reading. You could have been doing anything but you’re here, and I appreciate that. I’d also appreciate it if you would share this with your friends if you enjoy it. Let’s jump in.
thoughts at large.
I’m going to start with a hot take: Twitter is (was?) the most consequential social media platform of the last decade.
While it began as a platform for quick social conversation, it’s transformed into one of the most powerful tools for citizen journalism in the world. When mainstream media failed us, Twitter was there to give us access to first-person perspectives from halfway around the world instantaneously. CNN could never!
Now, however, it feels like we’re waiting for the inevitable death. Our time on the app is coming to an end and we’re going to have to say goodbye soon. Since Elon Musk took the reigns, there have been layoffs, security breaches, and resignations. The app that so many of us found our voice on is going out sad, thanks in part to a greedy, power-hungry rich guy. Isn’t this always the story though?
When I think about Twitter’s impact, I can’t help but think about how the app created a platform for digital activism that was unheard of. The murders of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Mike Brown, George Floyd & Breonna Taylor would not have gotten the attention that they did had it not been for a specific group of Tweeters keeping it at the forefront of the national conversation.
That group: Black Twitter. Often imitated, but never duplicated. We are the arbiters of memes, live tweeting cultural events, and recurring (and often inconsequential) debates. We successfully developed our own cultural movement in an open forum. There have been sites that have made millions by mining content from the creative Black minds on the bird app. Now, we stand at a crossroads - do we focus all of that creative energy on one of the many other established social channels, or do we take a chance on a new platform? (see: Black-owned Fanbase.)
I downloaded all of my Twitter data last week… all my Tweets, DMs and likes since January 2009 when I opened my account. Let me know if you need the instructions for that. What I found was a reminder - I, like many of my peers, am very creative. It won’t end with Twitter, but if this is the end… I’ll miss it.
reads + vibes.
All the TikToks and IG Stories from AfroTech gave me major FOMO this week. I loved this article from Forbes that profiled the intersection of Fashion & Technology at the largest Black tech conference in the country. Read here.
The season finale of Reasonable Doubt had me shook! It’s such a good show, and I’m hopeful that we’ll get another season. Showrunner Raamla Mohamed broke down her creative journey - and what it took to bring a show like this to life. Read here.
Marsai Martin & Kelly Rowland were on Ebro In The Morning promoting their new film “Fantasy Football” (coming to Paramount+ on November 25th) and co-host Peter Rosenberg took that as an opportunity to make weird/off-the-wall/uncalled-for comparisons between Kelly & Beyoncè. And this is why I feel like we should be gatekeeping the culture. Kelly had a perfect response though. Read the article and watch the interview here. (The part in question begins at 13:07 in the YouTube video)
The Grammy Nominations dropped this week (see them all here) and notably missing - was Summer Walker. She addressed the snub via social media, and I’d tend to agree with her. Not that any of the other R&B artists were undeserving…but Summer’s been giving us quality for a minute with no acknowledgment. Read more here.
Chris Brown dropped two new Christmas songs “It’s Giving Christmas” & “No Time Like Christmas” (apple | spotify) just in time for your holiday gatherings. His version of “This Christmas” is a personal favorite of mine.
Content queen Saweetie is back with her EP The Single Life. Available now: apple | spotify
That’s all for this week. Have a great Thanksgiving. I’m hosting for the first time ever at my house so I’m very excited. Leave me a comment and tell me what’s on your menu, especially if it’s low vibrational. LOL! See you next week friend!
