RACISM + SOCIAL MEDIA
How Free Speech Became a Lame Excuse To Spread Racism on Twitter
White supremacists celebrated Elon Musk's takeover
Free speech is a fundamental right in America that protects our ability to express ourselves. But what happens when free speech becomes nothing more than a lame excuse to spread racism? In the wake of Elon Musk's takeover, Twitter is entering the "find out" phase. Emboldened by the idea of an unfiltered social media platform, racists increased the use of the N-word on Twitter "by nearly 500% in the 12 hours" after the deal was finalized. In response, some users have either left the platform or discussed the need for moderation. Toni Braxton, for instance, noted that "hate speech under the veil of free speech is unacceptable."
Even before Elon Musk, whose family profited from the South African apartheid, took over Twitter, Black women were "84% more likely than White women to be mentioned in abusive or problematic tweets." Social media was already a racially hostile environment for Black people. Still, it seems Musk's takeover signified a new dawn for white supremacists, one where racism can become as omnipresent as the server. So, how did "free speech," a seemingly benign civil right, become food for racist fodder?
