Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

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Law Enforcement, News

The Wildly Unregulated Practice of Undercover Cops Friending People on Facebook

Terrance Everett has been on the wrong side of the law for most of his adult life. When he was 18, he had to register as a sex offender for having sex with a 15-year-old, because she was under the age of consent. In his 20s, he was, he says, “hanging with the wrong people…

By

Kashmir Hill

Published

October 23, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

Apparently, Ron DeSantis and Racist Republicans Love White Facebook

As the great physicist, mathematician and (I’m pretty sure this is correct) the first person to stuff figs inside of cookies, Sir Isaac Newton, proclaimed in his third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” While the only thing I know about quantum mechanics is the early ’90’s TV…

By

Michael Harriot

Published

August 31, 2018
Politics

Keith Ellison Wins Attorney General Nomination Despite Domestic Violence Claims

Embattled Congressman Keith Ellison overcame claims of domestic abuse to win the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s nomination for Minnesota attorney general, CNN said Tuesday. Ellison was an early favorite for the position when allegations of violence surfaced. The deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee was accused of physically and emotionally abusing his ex-girlfriend, Karen Monahan. The…

By

Stephen A. Crockett Jr.

Published

August 15, 2018
Politics

Rep. Keith Ellison Denies Domestic Violence Claims Made by Former Girlfriend and Her Son

U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) is a darling of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. He’s the deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee. He’s young, charismatic and was the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. He is a frontrunner to become his state’s attorney general, but all of that may come to…

By

Stephen A. Crockett Jr.

Published

August 13, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

2016 Déjà Vu: Facebook Uncovers Disinformation Campaign Targeting Black and Latinx Groups Ahead of Midterms

Facebook has taken down dozens of Facebook and Instagram accounts it says were part of an effort to sow disinformation and manipulate social media users ahead of the 2018 midterms. As the Washington Post reports, the pages were specifically centered on drumming up opposition to Trump. Just as in 2016, the accounts tried to rally…

By

Anne Branigin

Published

August 1, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

Hit 'Ignore': New Documentary Sheds Light on the Hate Speech Facebook Allows on Its Site

Facebook’s community standards on hate speech have long been the subject of contention. Facebook’s unclear guidelines and inconsistent enforcement of its hate-speech policy has caused the Declaration of Independence to be flagged, as well as stories from users about being called racial slurs. On the other hand, Holocaust denials are protected; users also say they’ve…

By

Anne Branigin

Published

July 27, 2018
Entertainment, Social Media

Tyler Perry Says Stop Falling for Facebook Scams. He’s Not Giving Away Any Money

If you are one of the numerous people who blindly share Facebook posts about celebrities or sends those chain Facebook Messenger posts without checking their veracity, this one’s for you. Remember a few years ago when a rumor spread on Facebook that Tyler Perry was buying American Airlines? Remember how people kept spreading that rumor…

By

Monique Judge

Published

July 10, 2018
Entertainment

Kerry Washington Executive-Produced Facebook Watch’s Five Points, and Now I Want Her to Produce All the Things

Kerry Washington is a gem in Hollywood. She shines bright in front of the camera, but did you know sis also gives you the business behind the camera, too? The Root spoke with Washington about her work as the executive producer of a new Facebook Watch web series called Five Points and she said: Being…

By

Danielle Young

Published

June 8, 2018
Culture

Watch: Zuck Reveals How White Facebook Is

Last week, Mark Zuckerberg appeared before Congress to testify about Facebook’s privacy policies. During the 10-hour testimony, Zuckerberg was also grilled on Facebook’s lack of diversity. That confrontation was a reminder of an ongoing racial and gender divide across major tech industries. Check out the video above to see what’s going on.

By

Tracy Thompson

Published

April 20, 2018
White Nationalist Richard Spencer Just Got Kicked Off Facebook

How is it that at the same time Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was in front of Congress giving testimony that said his company does “not allow hate groups” on its platform, white nationalist and king of the “alt-right” Richard Spencer managed to have not one, but two pages representing his hate ideology active on the…

By

Monique Judge

Published

April 13, 2018