All Digitocracy

Media & Diversity

Lil Wayne dismisses Black Lives Matter

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Lil Wayne dismissed the Black Lives Matter movement in a rare interview Tuesday night, saying America has made him the “rich motherf—-r” he is now. “I don’t feel connected to a damn thing that ain’t got nothing to do with me,” the 33-year-old rapper told ABC journalist Linsey Davis. Lil Wayne said the phrase “Black Lives… [Read more…]

Black Panther Party celebrates 50th anniversary, says today’s protestors must rely less on Twitter

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Millennials must really help people on the streets and do more than just complain through social media.

Longtime Bay Area protester Cat Brooks supports social media, but says the street marches are still important.

Bay Area protester Cat Brooks (left) supports social media, but says the police are monitoring social platforms.

October marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party in Oakland by Bobby Seale and the late Huey P. Newton in 1966. Parties, walking tours, museum exhibits and lectures will be running at various times and locations from Oct. 20 to 23, writer Lisa Fernandez reports for NBCBayArea.com.

In a look back at the Black Panther movement Fernandez found few old-time activists who believe that social media will help cure societal ills. She writes:

Twitter and technology have changed the immediacy and the ability to organize African-Americans to shut down commerce and decry police brutality. But the social injustices that plagued the Black Panther Party 50 years ago still plague the Millenials propogating the Black Lives Matter Movement today, organizers and historians say. And if the current movement wants to stay relevant, some say, then the activists have to really help people on the streets and do more then send off a missive of tweets.

“It’s vital,” said Khalid White, a sociology and history professor at San Jose City College and San Jose State University and author of Black Fatherhood. “The Black Lives Matter movement helped to bring activism to the Twitter generation. But we’re still fighting the same social economic ills the Panthers did in the 1960s and ’70s: police brutality, and criminalizing people of color.”

Veteran protester Cat Brooks notes acknowledges that social media can have a galvanizing effect, she notes that police are working everyday to monitor activists movements on all platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.

She told Hernadez: “Social media gives us the ability to push out a more consistent onslaught of state-sanctioned violence against black and brown bodies.”

See the complete story here.

#BoycottNFL? Some in media blame Colin Kaepernick for tumbling TV ratings — but he’s set to start again

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Will Colin Kapernick (right) kneel or stand for the national anthem Sunday.

Will Colin Kaepernick (right) kneel or stand for the national anthem Sunday?

The 49ers say Kaepernick will start Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, replacing Blaine Gabbert.

The National Football League is on the verge of panic. Television ratings for games have plummeted this season, and some of the mostly white sports reporters who cover the league say they know what the problem is:

The Colin Kaepernick Effect.

The 49ers quarterback has become a target for all fans who hate Black Lives Matter, and news organizations such as The Sporting News are speculating that fans are boycotting watching games on television because African-American players like Kaepernick are showing support for Black Lives Matter by choosing to kneel during the national anthem or raising a fist in protest while the anthem plays.

On Sunday, all eyes will be on Kaepernick because 49ers coach Chip Kelly has announced Kaepernick will start for the first time this season in place of struggling Blaine Gabbert. The 49ers have lost four in a row. Undoubtedly, some of conservative sports media will be ready to pounce on Kaepernick if he protests during the anthem and the 49ers lose.

Sporting News reporter Michael McCarthy insists Kaepernick and his brothers in protest are clearly the reason for the falling TV ratings.

McCarthy writes:

The NFL is dreaming if it thinks the alarming double-digit drop in TV ratings this season has nothing to do with a fan backlash against Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the American flag and national anthem.

TV ratings for “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” are off by a whopping 16 to 20 percent so far this season, Nielsen told Sporting News on Monday.

Yet in an internal memo last week, NFL executives found “no evidence that concern over player protests during the national anthem is having any material impact on our ratings.” Instead, the league blames “unprecedented interest” in the U.S. presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

In other words, nothing to see here. Move along.

Is the NFL kidding us?

Far right newspaper The Washington Times cites a Rasmussen poll that includes unscientific results from an online poll along with some telephone polling:

Nearly one-third of American adults say they are less likely to watch a National Football League game because of the growing number of Black Lives Matter protests that are happening by players on the field, a Rasmussen poll found.

Thirty-two percent polled online and by telephone said they’re willing to skip NFL games this year because of player protests over racial issues, the pollster said on Tuesday. Only 13 percent said they were more likely to watch the games because of the protests, and 52 percent said the protests had no impact on their viewing decisions.

Twenty-eight percent of African Americans said they were more likely to tune-into an NFL game because of the protests, compared to 8 percent of whites and 16 percent of other Americans, the poll found.
Whites were twice as likely as blacks to say they are less likely to watch this year.

CNN also has weighed in on the slumping ratings but is taking a more moderate view. CNN.com reported:

Indeed, the whole presidential election, and all the attention it’s gotten, could be a big factor. That’s one reason the NFL itself has been saying it’s not worried. An internal memo sent around the league on Friday and obtained by ESPN’s Darren Rovell attributed the overall drop to several factors, including the dearth of marquee pairings and the presidential race.

“The NFL continues to be far and away the most powerful programming on television, and the best place for brands and advertisers,” the letter said.

One thing seems certain: ratings for the 49ers game on Sunday are likely to be among the highest of the season as fans tune in to see if Kaepernick kneels or raises a fist.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposes high schools deploy textbooks to teach black men how to react to police

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The Lt. Gov. suggests black men need to be taught not to ‘make that situation with the police officer very tense’

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (right) is suggesting that black men need to know how to at around the police. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Briseño | Daily Texan Staff

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (right) is suggesting that black men need to know how to act around the police. Photo Credit: Emmanuel Briseño | Daily Texan Staff

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a hardcore conservative, is suggesting that the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills school curriculum include instruction on advising young men on how to react to the police.

At his appearance during The Texas Tribune Festival — a gathering of the top Texas Republican leaders — Patrick was clearly talking about young black men when he suggested males be taught in school how to behave around police officers.

“I think most of the people in this room know [how to act],” Patrick said to a virtually all-white audience. The Daily Texan, the student newspaper for the University of Texas at Austin, covered the event.

The Daily Texan posted a story with this headline: GOP leaders express contempt for diversity.

The student newspaper said in the story: “What Patrick meant is that we need to teach these protesters how to change their behavior for the majority’s benefit. This is how his logic works: Black Lives Matter protesters are not individual people standing up to an injustice but a group that brought problems on themselves because they chose to cause a fuss.”

See the complete story here.

Blackface photos, tweets about lynching, swastikas and slurs roil college campuses

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Students angry about Black Lives Matter and national anthem protests lash out on social media with an ‘epidemic of racist incidents’

Students at the University of North Dakota recently shared this photo on Facebook.

Students at the University of North Dakota recently shared this photo on Facebook.

Inside Higher Ed is reporting about what it calls an “epidemic of racist incidents” on college campuses, as mostly white students strike back at national anthem protests like these:

In a story, Inside Higher Ed reported:

A year ago, racial incidents and lingering tensions on many campuses turned into protests in October that spread nationally in November.

This year, incidents have multiplied at the very beginning of the academic year. And so have protests. Some of the incidents are closely tied to campus issues. But many reflect the protest movement — which extends well beyond campuses — against police shootings of unarmed black men.

Many students are joining that movement, and in particular the calls of some not to stand during the playing of the national anthem before athletic events. And some of the racist incidents involve attacks on Black Lives Matter, frequently invoking the name of the movement along with racist images.

Click here to see the full report from Inside Higher Ed, including documented incidents at the University of North Dakota, Kansas State University, the University of Mississippi, Ohio University and other schools.

Roland Martin, TV One planning daily coverage of Republican National Convention

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There are few options for targeted coverage for people of color

Roland Martin says he plans to ask probing questions at the GOP Convention.

Roland Martin says he plans to ask probing questions at the GOP Convention.

The Republican National Convention kicks off in Cleveland tonight, and ratings could be high given heightened racial tensions in the country and recent deadly interactions between African-Americans and the police.

Will Donald Trump and other GOP presenters speak about the Black Lives Matter movement as well as violence by — and against — police officers? The possibilities could make for riveting television.

Unfortunately for people of color, there may be little convention coverage targeted especially for them. One exception is Roland Martin’s News One Now program which is broadcast weekday mornings on cable channel TV One.

TV One announced that Martin will appear live each day of the convention at 7 a.m. ET. Martin has been one of the leading reporters on the Black Lives Matter movement.

BET, the most popular cable television network targeting African-Americans, has not announced plans to cover the convention, according to a check of parent company Viacom’s website.

Moving Martin’s show to the convention is a significant investment for TV One’s parent company, Radio One.

“There couldn’t be a more critical time in our country for black media to engage in the political process,” said Radio One spokesperson Yashima White AziLove. “More now than ever the outcry of black people continues to reverberate throughout this country for equality, justice and reform. Our entire platform will be represented at each convention to ensure our community is informed of each presidential nominee’s plan to address the issues plaguing America, especially those that impact daily black life.”

Mainstream news outlets such as CNN will offer extensive coverage of the convention, as usual. CNN, Fox News and C-SPAN are offering 24/7 coverage.

Hillary Clinton’s new rhetoric on #BlackLivesMatter

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Hillary Clinton has had heated exchanges with Black Lives Matters activists in the past year. Now she’s tweeting their name

Hillary Clinton and Black Lives Matter activists haven't always been on the same page.

Hillary Clinton and Black Lives Matter activists haven’t always been on the same page.

Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton faces criticism from one of her strongest opponents, and this time, it is not Donald Trump. After stumbling in her response to criticism and questions from Black Lives Matter activists, Clinton now appears to be embracing the movement. Last week she tweeted “Black Lives Matter” after violent events unfolded in Minnesota, Baton Rouge, and Dallas; but she didn’t hashtag it.

When asked whether Clinton now endorses the Black Lives Matter Movement, LaDavia Drane, her director of African American outreach, told AllDigitocracy that Clinton has incorporated some of the activists’ language and positions of into her policies.

“There are sections [in the criminal justice platform] on ending mass incarceration,” said Drane. “The Secretary [is] basically putting forth a plan to cut down mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent offences.”

Hillary Clinton is looking to turn Black Lives Matters protestors into supporters.

Hillary Clinton is looking to turn Black Lives Matters protesters into supporters.

Young, black voters are most likely to view Clinton favorably, at 64 percent of voters 18 to 30 years old, according to a report this week by NPR. But these voters remain skeptical about Clinton, and about whether she takes their concerns seriously.

“I’m hoping that it’s an honest push towards actually understanding and actually embracing and not a political move,” said Davon Gaskins, a Black Lives Matter activist based in Philadelphia. “Because we see from Hillary’s track record that she’s undoubtedly an opportunist.”

With her most likely competitor, Trump, polling zero percent among black voters in some key battleground states, Clinton isn’t taking black voters for granted.

That’s likely why the former U.S. senator took the opportunity to speak before African American Methodist Episcopal Church leaders last Friday in Philadelphia, in a week that saw five Dallas police officers gunned down by a U.S. military veterans and two black men killed at the hands of police officers. Clinton needs to ensure these young black voters will show up at the polls in November.

“She came to the African American Methodist Episcopal Church and she used different rhetoric than we’ve seen her use before,” said Bruce Hardy, who teaches strategic communication at Temple University in Philadelphia. “She said ‘people like me versus people like you’ and I thought that was very interesting and effective. If she keeps that message going, I think it’ll serve her well in the Black and African American community.”

Continued use of speech, such as Hardy mentioned, could prove beneficial if Clinton intends to clinch the Midwestern and young African American vote, a demographic that strongly favored Senator Bernie Sanders during the primary season.

Listen to more of our interview with LaDavia Drane, Clinton’s director of African American Outreach and Black Lives Matter activist Davon Gaskins.

Facebook ‘Live’ under scrutiny after attacks on Dallas police

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Facebook’s new live-streaming service can broadcast events as they are unfolding

Live video of police shooting in Falcon Heights, Minn., came one day before killing of police officers in Dallas.

Diamond Reynolds broadcast the police shooting death of her boyfriend live on Facebook.

Facebook’s new live-streaming service and similar apps like Twitter’s Periscope are squarely in the spotlight after the killing of five police officers in Dallas Thursday night during a Black Lives Matter rally.

The unprecedented sniper attacks on the Dallas police came just days after the killing of two black men in separate police-involved shootings in Baton Rouge, La., and Falcon Heights, Minn.

In Falcon Heights, a police officer shot and killed Philando Castile during a traffic stop for a broken tail light. His girlfriend, Diamond Reynolds, streamed the aftermath of the shooting — as it happened — on Facebook Live.

In Baton Rouge, a bystander filmed a police officer shooting to death 37-year-old Alton Sterling, who was selling CDs outside a convenience store.

Some news commentators are speculating that widely-distributed video of the deaths of Castile and Sterling led to the police killings in Dallas.

Reynolds said she broadcast her boyfriend’s death on Facebook in an attempt to hold the police responsible.

“I wanted to put it on Facebook and go viral so that people could see,” she said. “I want the people to determine who was right and who was wrong.”

Reynolds’ use of Facebook shows how live video tools can draw attention to important social issues. However, some argue that the video of the police shootings may have contributed to the police shootings in Dallas.

Before the event in Dallas Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded to the tragedy in Falcon Heights.

“My thoughts are also with all members of the Facebook community who are deeply troubled by these events,” Zuckerberg said in an online post. “The images we’ve seen this week are graphic and heartbreaking, and they shine a light on the fear that millions of members of our community live with every day. While I hope we never have to see another video like Diamond’s, it reminds us why coming together to build a more open and connected world is so important — and how far we still have to go.”

Reaction to the shooting tragedies has been swift across the internet.