The Price of Speaking Up: Black Women and the Toll of Online Abuse
A 2018 study by Amnesty International found that Black women are 84% more likely to be abused on social media than white women. This is a startling statistic that sheds light on the disproportionate impact that online abuse has on Black women. Unfortunately, things have only gotten worse. In 2020, a study by UK charity Glitch found that online abuse against women disproportionately affects Black women, non-binary individuals, and women from marginalized communities.
Black women who are in the public eye often experience a disproportionate amount of online trolling. This was particularly evident in 2017, when Amnesty International discovered that of the thousands of incidents of online abuse, including rape and death threats, directed at female Members of Parliament on Twitter, over half were directed towards Britain's first Black woman MP, Labour politician Diane Abbott.
Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, a British-Nigerian lawyer and activist who uses her platform to advocate for issues such as diversity, inequality, and women's rights, recently experienced the disturbing reality of online abuse firsthand. She received a threatening letter sent to her home address, which claimed to be from National Action London, a Neo-Nazi terror group. The letter contained abusive language and included threats to kill Dr. Mos-Shogbamimu and members of her family. This kind of abusive behavior is completely unacceptable, and serves as a reminder of the urgent need for action to address online abuse and harassment.
It's important to recognize that online abuse against Black women is not only gendered but also racialized, and has been coined as "misogynoir." Misogynoir is a term used to describe the specific discrimination, violence, and marginalization that Black women face as a result of their intersecting identities of race and gender. It's a deeply concerning issue, and one that must be addressed with urgency. Women of color, especially Black women, often face unique and more severe forms of online abuse that are rooted in racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression.
Last year at the brink of the Russian invasion of Ukraine I used my platform to speak about the racism black and brown people were experiencing attempting to flee the war. Since that day, I have received hacking attempts, people showing up outside my house, trolling on social media and death threats. I have been accused of being a “Russian bot” and spreading “russian propaganda”. I have had racist content creators make defamatory videos about me which has incited trolling on my social media pages. On one occasion I organized a zoom meeting for students with a university which was subject to “zoom bombing” which is the unwanted, disruptive intrusion, generally by Internet trolls, into a video-conference call. They wrote n****r and screened racist p*rn on the screen.
The latest experience was this email that I was sent via the dark web to my email address.
In addition to the threats and abuse directed towards black women, online abuse also has a chilling effect on free speech and public discourse. Black women, who speak out on important issues are often met with hostility and abuse, which can discourage others from speaking out or engaging in public conversations. This creates a dangerous environment where important voices are silenced and marginalized.
I won't pretend that these experiences didn't have a negative impact on my mental health. There were times when I felt genuine fear and even deactivated all my social media accounts. However, over time, I have come to understand the importance of this cause and the motivations behind these racist attacks. I refuse to be silenced by these tactics. As a Black person, I am all too aware of the reality of racism, both in the UK and around the world. It's deeply troubling that some individuals are willing to express their racism in such a criminal and hateful way. But this only strengthens my resolve to continue speaking out and fighting for a world that is free from discrimination and oppression.
Organizations like Glitch UK, led by Seyi Akiwowo, strive to put an end to online abuse. Seyi has been a tireless advocate for online safety for women, including myself, for many years. Currently, she is actively campaigning for amendments to the Online Safety Bill, and her petition demanding the inclusion of women and girls in the draft has garnered over 100,000 signatures.
To tackle online abuse and harassment effectively, we must acknowledge and address the systemic discrimination and marginalization that Black women and other marginalized groups face in society and online. We need to create safe spaces for all women to share their experiences, be heard, and feel supported, while working to dismantle the oppressive systems that allow online abuse and harassment to thrive.
