Hi, I’m Bianca — a queer, Japanese-Lebanese-Syrian, Artist, Professor, & Creative Strategist living in Los Angeles. In case you are new here or if a reminder could help, this newsletter began as an exploration of figuring things out, one day at a time. Upgrade to a paid subscription to make sure you never miss out on the really good stuff.
Hi friends,
In 2020 I created an organizing training as a rapid response offering with two good friends, Laura Li and Kifah Shah. It was peak pandemic early days, George Flyod had just been murdered, hospitals were flooded with COVID, and people were taking to the streets, and posting Black squares.
We developed the series in response to the sudden increase of people who, while eager to spring into action, did not have a relationship with existing movement efforts. We worked with people who were new to organizing or recently politicized to learn organizing 101 - the *how* of organizing to equip folks with strategies + frameworks to begin organizing within their spheres of influence.
I bring this up because I want to make some space here today to discuss platform and media literacy. Right now we are witnessing echoes of similar energy online. Ramy Yousef recently wrote, “we are helplessly trying to figure out foreign policy on Instagram — because leaders have failed us.”
We must remember that these platforms are good for some things but ultimately not designed to keep us informed. At its core Instagram is an e-commerce platform, meant to overstimulate to sell you products and lifestyles, not keep you connected or regulated. It is important we are aware and intentional with how we engage online so we can show up sustainably. This week Subhi, a phenomenal Filipino-Palestinian activist/strategist, shared about purposeful content strategy, and Mohammed El-kurd explained media literacy 101. Mindy Seu, shared the pros and cons of posing on social media - clear cons she listed:
“rapid spread of misinformation, echo chambers, algorithmic censorship, flattened tone, encouragement of reactionary responses, discouragement of deep work, space to broadcast, not conversation.”
and some pros:
“ sharing aid, actionable next steps, rallies, moments of communion, amplification of undeserved narratives, accounts using their platform to reach wider audiences, outsiders showing alliance with those who cannot post due to burnout, fear, griefm or violence, and creating a record of public mourning.”
To be clear - please keep posting, sharing, talking, and amplifying.
But, In my classes, I always begin with teaching Deepa Iyer’s ecosystems framework. The framework includes ten roles that many of us play in service of our social change values. While simple, what I love about it is that we can quickly begin to discuss the ways we might contribute to a larger ecosystem of tools and actors that require self-awareness and deep relationship-building with one another. Storytellers need organizers, connectors need writers, etc etc.
Where do you fit? Who do you need to build better relationships with to contribute?
Online spaces have their own unique affordances but also are just one part of a large landscape that we must engage with.
For the last five years, I worked online to experiment with the ways digital spaces offer their own unique value and opportunities to connect and move people towards action. This newsletter just grazes the surface of this discussion. (*If you want to talk more, invite me to come give this lecture!*)
I hope what you take away from this week’s letter is that no matter who you are, you have valuable skills to contribute at this moment.
with love and care,
Bianca
THINGS FOR LOS ANGELES
THIS SUNDAY 🇵🇸🕊
NEXT THURSDAY
RSVP Community Healing Space
Deepa Iyer Social Change Ecosystems
Mindy Seu
Dear Habibi
RAD Organizing 101
Mohammed on Media Literacy 101
Subhi on content strategy