So it looks like some members of traditional media were not happy that content creators were invited to the DNC and given space. I did not anticipate this response to 200 of us hardworking content creators. But here we are and I feel the need to say a few words on this. I’ll be working on a video once I get my voice back. The overall way that we’ve been portrayed & seen by those who don’t consume our content is that we are mostly vapid TikTok dancers only there for the clout and the selfies. 1/ The content creators at the DNC are hardworking professionals who were hustling hard to get interviews and capture the DNC for their followers. I know I was! When there was an opportunity to interview a delegate or an elected or a surrogate I jumped at the chance & immediately got filming. I wasn’t there to take only take selfies & look cute. We certainly were mostly standing and hungry most of the time. But gladly because it was an honor to have a seat at the table 2/

The Smoot-Hawley Act of 1930 increased tariffs on foreign imports to the U.S. by about 20%; at least 25 countries responded by increasing their own tariffs on U.S. goods. The tariff made it difficult for US businesses to sell their products abroad, causing exports to drop 1/

https://twitter.com/acyn/status/1824913358526833146

from $7 billion in 1929 to $2.5 billion in 1932. Farm exports were down by a third by 1933. Other countries responded to the tariff with retaliatory tariffs on US goods, which further decreased trade and made the Great Depression worse.  2/

Back in June, those of us who are chronically online & tuned into pop culture declared it Brat Girl Summer after Charli XCX dropped her new album, Brat. If you’ve been paying attention to the vibes lately, it made perfect sense. 1/ Last summer was all about Barbie. All the girlies put on their pink fits and flooded the movie theaters. (Yes, not everyone. I’m talking about overall trends here.) It was also the summer of disco silver fits at Beyonce shows and sequins & friendship bracelets at 2/

After last night, I feel even more determined to work to get @joebiden re-elected in November. At one point after there were some protestors in the audience shouting at the three Presidents on stage, President @barackobama made this point: 1/ What’s special about living in a democracy is that we don’t just yell at each other. We also
listen to each other and talk to each other. That resonated with me. We have the freedom to protest and the freedom of speech. 2/

So this morning one of the co-founders of Moms For Liberty said it was nonsense that I called them an extremist group. I figured I'd show my evidence. 1/ In Florida's Hernando County, Moms for Liberty's censorship actions provoke liberal backlash. Their extreme behavior fuels educational chaos and teacher resignations. #MomsForLiberty 2/washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/…

Based on all the recent online & offline conversations I’ve been seeing about world events, it’s safe to say that we need to be investing more resources into social studies & media literacy education. This includes investing in the education of social studies teachers and 1/ an end to the educational gag orders & book bans. The K-12 classroom needs to be a place where young people learn how to source documents, learn historical context, and engage in complexity & critical thinking. 2/

The day he came down that escalator to Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” was the beginning of one of the darkest chapters in American history. Those of us who had been fighting to get closer to becoming a multiracial democracy with liberty and justice for ALL knew it 1/ right away. Yes, our country has been flawed since its inception. White supremacy has been the backbone of the USA from the start with settler colonialism & the genocide of the indigenous people & then our entire economy was based on race based chattel slavery. 2/

Dear Media: Please don't forget the mistakes of how y'all covered the 2016 election. Also, feel free to review that whole pre-World War II era/rise of fascism. I just saw @abcnews refer to Moms For Liberty as "joyful warriors" - they are an extremist group pretending to want 1/ @abcnews "save the children" but one of their chapters quoted Hitler in a newsletter & they are really trying to enforce a yt supremacist curriculum/destroy public education in the USA. Also, Trump might be the @GOP presidential frontrunner but also keep reminding your readers that he 2/

The biggest revelation to come out of this NYT article is that as soon as Betsy DeVos left office she began moving millions of $$ to fund people & organizations that create hate against @rweingarten, unions & public ed. They admit in this article that they are trying to 1/ @rweingarten demonize Randi, unions, & public school teachers as a way to privatize all schools. They went as far as hiring a prominent online troll with ties to the far right. m.dailykos.com/stories/2021/8… 2/

Just jumping in here to remind everyone that as we end the year, in school districts like Dallas ISD teachers are not allowed to use the word "slavery" in class and are still awaiting to see what term that they can use to describe slavery, such as "involuntary relocation" 1/ So, does this mean students aren't even being taught about slavery in their history classes? This is despicable and shame on every single adult who is a part of this decision. You are depriving young people from a) learning the truth and b) putting them behind their peers in 2/

Back in January 2022 I was barraged by antisemitic attacks when I posted a photo saying I was teaching about the January 6th insurrection & how a student said it was a fight btn expanding our multiracial democracy & those who want to maintain white supremacy. It was chilling 1/ I knew there were people/trolls like this on Twitter but I was shocked by the volume & also how so many accounts that I reported weren’t removed. Many of us have been ringing the alarms about this for awhile. I’m terrified to think of what will happen if we continue on this 2/