I left Facebook, y’all! In true, dramatic, Scorpio fashion, I permanently deactivated my account the day after my birthday. The long and the short of it is that Facebook was no longer serving me. It wasn’t serving me personally, or professionally for the blog. Most of that is my own doing, as I’ve never truly connected to the platform. I had a page for this very blog, with a little under one thousand followers, but I wasn’t posting to Facebook. All my posts there were automatically shared via my Twitter or Instagram, and I would MAYBE share the links to posts on my personal profile.

After George Floyd was murdered for all to see, and after we lost Breonna Taylor to senseless policing, I took to my Facebook to share informative  posts, articles, or clips from my perspective as a queer, Black man in America. Most posts were received in a favorable manner with productive discussion, but naturally, the idiots and misinformed tools of the internet showed their faces.  

I would tell myself “I’m only on Facebook to stay in touch with my family,” but this was a blatant lie to myself. My family stays in an argument about who should be calling who, so Facebook was no different in this sense. “If they really want to speak with me, they have my digits” was the conclusion.  Why put myself through the stress of feeling like I need to help trolls who aren’t willing to be open to hearing what I have to say? Do these people care about what I have to say? I’ve always been the type to share my experience to help others make sense of what they may be going through or experiencing on whatever topic. 

I always look to connect, because if you aren’t connecting, what are you doing as an online presence?

Those people don’t deserve to have access to my thoughts and views in and of this world. They show us time and time again that they are unwilling to do the work and learn about America’s history and its impact on the communities I belong to. I love to talk, but I’m honestly tired of talking. If people show you who they are, believe it. In 2021 and beyond, we need to see the action. Don’t just talk about how you’re feeling without making an effort to impact change. I’m over it. I’ve been over it. Be the change you truly wish to see. 

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Thank you in advance for watching this check-in vlog of mine. I appreciate you and wish you good health and safety. Don’t forget to wear a mask! 

-J