Hate Mail of the Weak

A response to a white supremacist who called me a "filthy Muslim and ni**er."

How do you respond to horrid bigotry, especially when it’s endorsed by the wealthiest man on Earth? Let’s Address This.

I share this more personal side of my advocacy for human rights because it is important to me that you, my supporters, see what I see. Let me take you on a short journey with four steps.

First, I posted this tweet. I was frustrated at the double standard and hypocrisy imposed upon Black and brown students in academia.

Second, the tweet gained popularity, ultimately gaining over 6000 retweets. That drew the attention of a white supremacist and Islamophobe too weak minded to respond with logic and facts, so instead he responded with this bigoted, hateful vitriol and slur, highlighted in yellow. Naturally I was disgusted by the vile rhetoric.

love it! Put the filthy Muslims and ni***ers in their place! inshallawallabingbang

Third, I reported it to Twitter. I recalled Twitter’s content moderation specifically forbids hate and targeting people with slurs. Surely, calling Muslims “filthy” and using the N-word qualified. So, I submitted my report to Twitter exactly as they instructed, expecting Twitter to condemn this grotesque white supremacy and Islamophobia.

Fourth, and much to my dismay, Twitter responded in full agreement with the white supremacist. Here was Twitter’s response, highlighted in yellow:

After reviewing the available information, we determined that there were no violations of the X rules in the content you reported.

There is so much to unpack here.

First, let me reemphasize my appreciation to each of you for supporting my work and advocacy. Whether you subscribe for free or at $5/mo, your support to keep building is critical because, as you can see, these social media platforms are going full blown Nazi.

Second, how ironic, or perhaps appropriate, that the response I get to condemning racism is Islamophobic anti-Black racism? And how much more appropriate that the response to condemning systemic racism in America, is receiving racism that is then backed up by systemic white supremacy vis a vis Twitter’s approval?

Third and finally, here’s how we respond. We speak up loudly. We cannot sit silent, but must continue to speak out. Silence enables bigotry and extremism. Likewise, we tell our stories and share our stories. We can never let such hate be normalized. Be present for others as they share their stories, and be proud and courageous in sharing your stories of overcoming hate. Finally, invest in a future committed to justice and compassion. Whether that’s by volunteering for a local candidate you believe in, supporting a non-profit doing the work on an issue important to you, or even subscribing to someone like me so I can continue to counter misinformation and hate and replace it with education and dialogue—all of it matters and is effective.

You have my promise to always speak up and uphold justice above all else, period. Likewise, I encourage you to share your story, speak up, and build your network against hate and bigotry. Let us continue to demand that more humane and just future for this generation and the next. Are you in?