In the early 20th century, Black journalists and writers like Ida B. Wells and W.E.B. Du Bois challenged the demonization of Black people in the wake of racial violence, only to have their speeches and writings censored.
In the 1950s and 1960s, segregationists passed "vagrancy laws," which allowed the arrest and detention of journalists and civil rights activists on fabricated charges, something we still see today. These laws restricted the coverage of the Black American experience.
Censorship has always been a violent thread running through the fabric of America. We must learn how to spot it and, most importantly, circumvent it. It will be rough, but if our forebears could do it, so can we.
In the past, Black authors and journalists fought back. They began creating Black news outlets like The Chicago Defender and The Crisis. Authors like James Baldwin and Langston Hughes used allegory and symbolism in their writings to critique racism and inequality. Even grassroots publications like zines and pamphlets were used to get around censored mainstream media.
We have the right to be heard. Our community has faced censorship before, but we have found ways to resist, adapt, and innovate. Our creativity and resilience have built a legacy of resistance to lean into as we continue the battle against misinformation and disinformation.