Why Twitter Owes Its Success to Black Creators
Twitter would not be the platform it is today without the innovation and creativity of Black users.
From #blacklivesmatter to #OscarsSoWhite, Black twitter has been at the forefront of social and political movements. But despite our immense impact, we are not fairly compensated for the labor we put into making Twitter what it is. In this blog post, I’ll explain why Twitter should pay black creators.
Black twitter is a term used to describe the collective voice of African Americans on Twitter.
We use the platform to discuss issues that matter to us, engage in pop culture, and hold public figures accountable. In recent years, Black twitter has played a major role in some of the most influential social movements, like #blacklivesmatter and #OscarsSoWhite.
Despite our vital role in Twitter’s success, we are not fairly compensated for the labor we put into making Twitter what it is.
Studies have shown that Blacks are underrepresented in tech by a wide margin. This lack of diversity means that our voices are often ignored when it comes to decision-making about the platform. For example, when Twitter rolled out its “quality filter” last year, many Black users complained that it was unfairly suppressing their tweets. But instead of listening to our concerns and making changes, Twitter executives dismissed them outright.
This kind of treatment is all too common for Black workers in corporate America.
We are undervalued and underpaid while being expected to do twice the amount of work as our white counterparts. Enough is enough. It’s time for Twitter to pay black creators fairly for the immeasurable value we add to the platform.
Twitter would not be where it is today without the contributions of Black users.
We use the platform to lift up our voices and speak out against injustice. We trend topics and start conversations that shape public opinion. But despite our immense impact, we are not fairly compensated for the labor we put into making Twitter what it is. It’s time for Twitter to recognize our value and start paying us what we’re worth.
