Internet freedom is under attack, but some black leaders are fighting against us.
Why Blacks Should Care About Net Neutrality
by Nadra Kareem | TheLoop21
Imagine an Internet where corporations could pay broadband companies to make their content travel faster across the Web than that of rivals or lone bloggers. Sounds like a sci-fi flick, right? But the end of “net neutrality” is a very real possibility. Activist group ColorOfChange.org says it threatens African American entrepreneurs, entertainers and bloggers who’ve long used the Web to reach the masses.
“The Federal Communications Commission is trying to protect Internet freedom …But big broadband providers want to create a new system where they can charge large fees to speed up some data while leaving those who can’t afford to pay behind,” ColorOfChange.org informed members in a Sept. 16 release.
The purpose of the announcement was not only to raise awareness about the threat to net neutrality but also to inform COC supporters that Congressional Black Caucus members, such as Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), have reportedly taken large sums of money from telecommunications industry lobbyists aiming to make the Internet a non-egalitarian space. Accordingly, COC urged its supporters to sign a petition asking black Congress members to support “Internet freedom.” TheLoop21.com asked the Caucus for comment, but it did not respond to the request by press time. African Americans who’ve made names for themselves in the blogosphere, such as Latoya Peterson of Racialicious.com and Danielle Belton of TheBlackSnob.com, did weigh in on the issue, though.
Racialicious, which examines how race and pop culture intersect, attracts up to 250,000 visitors monthly, says Peterson. Owner and editor of the site, Peterson fears the impact net neutrality’s end would have on racial minorities.
“There are so many great sites that are owned and run by people of color, a situation that is not happening in other parts of the media world,” she said in a statement to TheLoop21.com. “Yet, if large corporations get to manage the Internet the way they have managed cable TV, radio, and print media, it’s the countdown to our voices being marginalized yet again.”
Read the Full Essay @ theLoop21.com
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Why Blacks Should Care About Net Neutrality
by Nadra Kareem | TheLoop21
Imagine an Internet where corporations could pay broadband companies to make their content travel faster across the Web than that of rivals or lone bloggers. Sounds like a sci-fi flick, right? But the end of “net neutrality” is a very real possibility. Activist group ColorOfChange.org says it threatens African American entrepreneurs, entertainers and bloggers who’ve long used the Web to reach the masses.
“The Federal Communications Commission is trying to protect Internet freedom …But big broadband providers want to create a new system where they can charge large fees to speed up some data while leaving those who can’t afford to pay behind,” ColorOfChange.org informed members in a Sept. 16 release.
The purpose of the announcement was not only to raise awareness about the threat to net neutrality but also to inform COC supporters that Congressional Black Caucus members, such as Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) and Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), have reportedly taken large sums of money from telecommunications industry lobbyists aiming to make the Internet a non-egalitarian space. Accordingly, COC urged its supporters to sign a petition asking black Congress members to support “Internet freedom.” TheLoop21.com asked the Caucus for comment, but it did not respond to the request by press time. African Americans who’ve made names for themselves in the blogosphere, such as Latoya Peterson of Racialicious.com and Danielle Belton of TheBlackSnob.com, did weigh in on the issue, though.
Racialicious, which examines how race and pop culture intersect, attracts up to 250,000 visitors monthly, says Peterson. Owner and editor of the site, Peterson fears the impact net neutrality’s end would have on racial minorities.
“There are so many great sites that are owned and run by people of color, a situation that is not happening in other parts of the media world,” she said in a statement to TheLoop21.com. “Yet, if large corporations get to manage the Internet the way they have managed cable TV, radio, and print media, it’s the countdown to our voices being marginalized yet again.”
Read the Full Essay @ theLoop21.com
***
Nadra Kareem is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Racialicious.com, About.com and other media outlets. Follow her on Twitter @NadraKareem
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