The ongoing and heinous genocide of Palestinians in Gaza has resulted in an onslaught of biased Western media coverage, small and large-scale retaliation, an “uncommitted” voting movement, and social media censorship. 

College students and student groups are being suspended and penalized, and peaceful protesters are being forcefully arrested.¹ Celebrities who have spoken out in support of Palestine or called for a ceasefire, like Melissa Barrera, have faced being dropped from films and agencies. Meanwhile, many of those who have opposed a ceasefire, or flat out touted that “Zionism is sexy”, like Sarah Silverman; Noah Schnapp & Brett Galman; and Amy Schumer are hosting a new show, returning to season five of Stranger Things, and making the rounds on late night TV, respectively. ²

As it pertains to Instagram, I was initially unable to post a still photo of myself wearing a “Free Palestine” shirt as a reel. I kept receiving an “Unable to Load” message. I uploaded a test reel of my kitty and there were NO issues.  My lowest viewed content recently has been anything with even a hint of ‘Palestine,’ ‘Gaza,’ or ‘ceasefire.’ I may also be shadow banned since, sadly, as a Black content creator and activist, which is already a common issue.  However, I want someone to look me in my eye and tell me the reason this time.

As of today, March 13, 2024, the majority Republican House of Representatives passed a bill (HR7521) to ban TikTok, one of the top news sources for Gen Z. At this point, the Senate will also need to pass the measure for it to become law.³ Per the president, “If they pass it, I’ll sign it,’ Biden said when asked by reporters about the legislation.”⁴ A dangerous precedent for freedom of speech would be set if this bill gets passed. The House claims the current push for the ban stems from the national security of data, but it is a major election year during a U.S. funded genocide, along with an ongoing pandemic that is still claiming predominantly marginalized lives, so I and many others cannot help but to feel this ban coincides with the surge of pro-Palestinian content on TikTok. This includes criticism over how the President is handling the situation.⁵

Only about half of Black adults have approved of Biden’s job performance in recent months, down from 94 percent in early 2021 — a huge decline in satisfaction among a cornerstone of the Democratic coalition.

Biden’s approval rating has also fallen at least 20 percentage points among Hispanic adults, independents, young adults and moderates.⁶

It is surreal to be living in a constant state of panic, burn out, frustration, hopelessness, and fury over the last four years. I try to raise my voice wherever and whenever possible, despite the censorship around every corner, because there are too many out there who need us helping to share their truths and amplify their voices.

1. https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4527462-columbia-university-sued-for-suspending-student-groups-over-pro-palestine-protests/ ↩︎
2. https://www.nme.com/news/tv/noah-schnapp-middle-of-social-media-storm-over-zionism-is-sexy-stickers-3539055 ↩︎
3. https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-bytedance-bill-divest-5b5a685e8f1e19d22182d62526bf19b8 ↩︎
4. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/politics/biden-says-hell-sign-proposed-legislation-to-ban-tiktok-if-congress-passes-it/3485426/ ↩︎
5. https://time.com/6836078/tiktok-sold-banned-2024-election/ ↩︎
6. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-ap-data-reveals-about-biden-and-trumps-election-challenges ↩︎