Article By Mia Miranda
I quit Twitter when school ended because I didn’t want to spend my summer watching the world’s ignorant bash and hurt people. People who had done nothing but be born into an identity that wasn’t white, wasn’t cis, wasn’t straight, and wasn’t what society considered to be the ideal of beauty. I was tired of becoming an unproductive person due to a website where I saw so much disgusting things occur. However, three days ago, I decided to re-join; I had a new account, a fresh mind, and a hope that I would avoid as much ignorance and bigotry as possible. And yet, here I am, on the verge of tears. I am angry, just so angry, over what is happening to Leslie Jones. Here’s why you should be, too:
On July 15, ‘Ghostbusters’ hit the theaters. This new version of the classic 1984 film featured Leslie Jones—actress, comedian, cast member on Saturday Night Live— as one of it’s main characters. You’d think that a cast of diverse women, with different body types, races, and sexualities, would inspire an air of positivity. Representation is important, after all. Representation is essential. You’d think Leslie Jones would be drowning in mentions and tweets of praise. You’d think.
This past week, Jones has been pelted with tweets drenched in exactly what I, and many other people, have quit Twitter to avoid. Hate, ignorance, and bigotry. It has been coming at her non-stop, from all angles. It’s unnecessary, and disgusting in all the worst ways. Blatant racism has been handed to her through comparisons to gorillas and a myriad of other sick comments. A strong, beautiful, talented woman has been reduced to all but begging Twitter to do something to stop the racism being spewed on their site.
“I leave Twitter tonight with tears and a very sad heart. All this cause I did a movie. You can hate the movie but the shit I got today…wrong.” Leslie tweeted this, after what seemed like an eternity of fending off the bigots attacking her. And Twitter? Twitter didn’t do anything to stop this from happening. Not only should we be repulsed by the situation, but by Twitter’s silence. Do they care? Do they care about not only Leslie, but the vast amount of black people attacked on their website everyday for doing nothing but being black? Leslie Jones was savaged for being a black woman. For being a successful black woman. A successful black woman who acts as inspiration for people everywhere. She did not deserve this.
Leslie, I’m sorry that you had to go through this. You are more than right:
You did not deserve this.
Twitter, get your act together and do something.
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