Black Twitter, a vibrant and culturally significant online community of Black users, is facing an uncertain future as many are leaving X, formerly Twitter, due to issues such as harassment, bots, and partisan ads surrounding the polarizing presidential election. The platform, once a hub for discussions on social issues and pop culture, may not survive as more users migrate to alternative text-based social media apps like Bluesky.
Elon Musk’s involvement in Trump’s campaign and changes to X have prompted a mass exodus of users, including many Black users who have been eyeing an exit from the platform since 2022. The recent move away from X is also spurred by the platform’s adoption of a new terms-of-service policy that uses user posts to train artificial intelligence without users’ consent.
Bluesky, a user-friendly alternative, has seen a surge in new accounts, attracting over a million users in the past week. The platform’s anti-toxicity features and community-owned moderation tools make it a welcoming and safe space for Black users who feel marginalized on X.
While the loss of Black Twitter on X is lamented by some, users like Rudy Fraser are working to recreate a similar community on Bluesky. Fraser’s Blacksky feed, which filters out racism and misogyny, has gained traction and reached 600,000 total views in a short time.
Despite the exodus from X, some users, like Pariss Chandler, plan to remain active on the platform for its community-building potential. As Black users migrate to alternative platforms, the sense of community and engagement that defined Black Twitter may find a new home where users can continue to create and connect in a safe and inclusive space.
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