Without trying, I see a lot of #trans, #gay, #autistic, #neurodivergent, and similar accounts of #marginalized people constantly in my #Home, #Local, and #Federated timelines, which seems to accurately reflect those who have built the #Mastodon #Fediverse and have made and kept it a viable, vibrant, safe platform.
I follow some, based on common interests and shared values.
What seems vastly underrepresented are #Black trans, gay, autistic, neurodivergent, and similar accounts.
Odd? Troubling.
@nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi That it may, and certainly seems to, require specific hashtags to find such people, rather than having them appear in our timelines exactly the same way such non-Black accounts do is the exact issue, that's the problem.
It seems to confirm what many other new Black users of this platform immediately pointed out: This seems to be an overly white-centered space even among users from otherwise marginalized communities.
Hopefully my perception is egregiously wrong.
@ricardoharvin @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi
I suspect its in the nature of the origin on Mastodon.
The IT world is predominantly white, at least in the UK. This in itsself is probably a feature of wider society.
So I think its more a symptom of a wider issue rather than something specific to this platform.
A problem? Definitely at every level.
Perhaps the good news is that at least here the answer is in our own hands. Somyes follow and boost POC
@StevieP @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi Your first line basically repeats what I wrote.
My point is Mastodon prides itself, loudly, on being a safe space built by and for ALL marginalized people, yet is apparently failing at being so for those marginalized people who are Black.
A clear illustration of the problem.
"marginalized white people built this for all marginalized people but Black people need to make an extra effort to be included" is not the winning argument you apparently believe it to be
@StevieP @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi You're missing the point. Black people of communities I listed, and others, should have LONG been here in ratios similar to those of the white members of marginalized peoples that have long been here.
It's not about the new arrivals but the apparent failure of the Mastodon Fediverse community to do the work long ago to bring Black people, always among the globally most marginalized people regardless of community, into this space.
@ricardoharvin @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi
Yes, acknowledged
But given that what do we do now? Given a past failing?
Dont get me wrong i don't want to minimise any past failings, we need to acknowledge them and the reasons why.
But more than that what domwe do now? How do we address the issue
@ricardoharvin @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi respectfully some slight disagreement
And apologies if I have misunderstood
Yes the work needs to be the responsibility of the white community. But if I dont ask then I risk implementing a fix based on my own prejudice.and yes after all this time we shouldnt need to ask but I would rather ask than assume
1/2
@StevieP @nomdeb @BlackAzizAnansi I'm not saying to not ask questions (but certainly not of me, a cishet male) on how to resolve this.
But you and your communities must first ask yourselves how this came to be because it requires a complete and deliberate disregard to not have realized long ago that this was a major problem.
And if your personal networks and those of your friends, and of their friends, all missed this, that's where your work must begin.
Ricardo Harvin
Nomdeb
Stevie Ancasta 🏳️⚧️⚧️