Black Voices Don’t Disappear Online. They’re Erased by Design.

In society, what happens when truth becomes a threat? For Black voices, this question isn’t new—it’s a reality we’ve always faced. If we have speeches to say, tweets to write about, or even doing TikToks to advocate for ourselves, our stories are often labeled as “too political,” “too angry,”. But that silencing isn’t random—it’s built into the systems we use every day. Social media algorithms, corporate newsrooms, and comment sections work together to downplay or erase what we say, especially when we’re demanding justice. This isn’t a glitch. It’s design.

A Brookings Institution study found that Black users are more likely to have their posts flagged or removed—especially when speaking about racism or activism. The article explains how content moderation systems often disproportionately target Black voices, even when no rules are broken. Meanwhile, a Vox analysis showed how any media focus on Black Lives Matter protests was labeled as violent or dangerous, even though the Capitol riot was labeled with neutral language like “protesters” or “chaos.” From doing some research on the Vox article, I realized it compares what the media did for two major political events and highlights media framing bias based on race. James Baldwin once said, “The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.” But in our case, we’re not dangerous—we’re just honest. Analyzing this, I found that data and real-world reporting can connect with the deeper meaning behind media misrepresentation and race.

This pattern is historical. Malcolm X was labeled extreme while calling for human rights. Assata Shakur was hunted while demanding freedom. Audre Lorde was ignored while writing the truth. They weren’t silenced because they were wrong—they were silenced because they were powerful. Today, their legacy lives on every time a Black student speaks out, a creator posts about injustice, or a young activist refuses to stay quiet. And yet, the system still tries to hide those voices through shadow bans, content moderation, and biased reporting. Our voices were never missing. They were just made harder to find.

So what do we do when we’re told our truth is “too loud”? We make it louder. I use Snopes and Media Bias/Fact Check to check what I see—and I follow independent, youth-led media to hear what mainstream platforms leave out. I pay attention when stories about police brutality disappear. I notice when peaceful protest videos don’t get views. Recognizing the pattern is the first step to breaking it. “Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.” — Malcolm X. That’s why resistance matters. We aren’t waiting to be heard—we’re taking up space and speaking anyway.

What’s one moment—online or in real life—that made you realize the media doesn’t always tell the full story?

Drop it in the comments and let’s talk ⤵️