A black owned social media channel

[Lndnmummy]

The plaster thread and MNHQ questionable moderation policy has left quite a mark in my soul. I’ve approached mumsnet for a discussion on their moderation policy, their conduct and how they see their responsibility as the owner of this platform. I’m anticipating a response.
I wonder if there would be an interest from POC in a black owned social media engagement forum? I’m not black so wouldn’t be the right person to drive this but I discussed with my friends and family who are and they were interested in taking it forward and would have the skills and backgrounds to do it. We were just interested to see if there would amongst those group be hypothetically speaking an interest in that type of community engagement?

I would be. In fact, I'm surprised this hasn't happened already.

Have you checked if there are any models in the US for example?

Thanks for responding @Maggiethecat. No I’ve not done anything besides discussing in length with friends and family. I’m just heartbroken by the constant attack on people by colour on places like mumsnet and we have discussed it a lot (we always discuss this anyway but I mean even more than always) in my immediate and extended family over the last couple of days. We’ve reviewed and debated the responses and attacks on the plaster thread, comments on latest coverage of H&M etc etc. My own conduct on those threads have not been entirely desirable either but I was broken already and just snapped. My husband and our son have both had such an awful year due to racism and discrimination and we all feel broken. I’ve cut pretty much all of my friendship circle off because they just can’t seem to have a conversation about issues POC face without going “but...”. There is no but. There is a full stop. I see repeatedly how people of colour are being met on mumsnet and it’s not a safe space for them or their allies. Despite repeated pleas to people to respect their space.

Bless you Lndmummy. Your husband and son are fortunate to have you. It is draining always having to deal with racism. It is sad that another generation of children will not be strangers to it. In answer to your query though, yes I would be interested.

@C130 thank you for your response. Exactly this! My husband and I were talking about this last night and he was really upset (and angry) about the conversations he has just had to have with our 8yr old. He said he always thought it would be different somehow, that things would have changed.

I wonder if @mumsnet would consider an anti-racism community board.
They host feminism...
Is it right that Black Mumsnet is the defacto host of anti-racism?

@Freebleweeble thank you for responding. And thank you for being such a voice of reason on the plaster thread. An anti racism board feels to me like it should be a part of mumsnet but I have very little faith in mumsnet being able to host such a board. Their current conduct in this regard is appalling.

I totally agree. I’m considering leaving mumsnet; day after day I read racist bullshit, often they try to hide it but often it’s so blatant; and it’s just allowed to ride unless it’s so obvious. It’s so demoralising.

I’m lucky in that I live in a real diverse area and the school I work in is 80% non white so on a day to day basis I feel quite lucky. However on here is shocking and makes me sad for those living that in real life as well as on here

I’ve written to mumsnet with some very specific questions on how they see their role and responsibility as the owner of the platform. I’ve asked to have a dialogue with them but I very much doubt I’ll get a response. I paid for a “premium” membership and I don’t want to be part of a platform that doesn’t take an active stance on racism and who is not an active anti racist advocate. @Freebleweeble I don’t think it’s right the BMN is the de facto anti racism forum. That would put the onus on the women in here to educate others and to me this is what @PatricksRum and the other fighters of this board wanted to mitigate against to a certain degree. They wanted a safe space to discuss issues impacting them without the need to defend against and enlighten the ignorant masses. It doesn’t feel that BMN is that space. I think the solution is outside of mumsnet. With a robust and pro black narrative, ownership and objectives.

If you think it would help to add more voices, and you want to PM me the text of your message to MN I would send something in a similar vein.

My question re BM hosting anti racism was somewhat rhetorical I think. It’s clearly not the right space, and to I feel that mumsnet have pushed it into this space by not setting up an anti-racism board at the same time as building BM. Way too many white posters chipping in on threads here.

There are very active anti-racism spaces on Instagram for example.

I want to be careful not to conflate the two issues though. Your OP talks about Black owned and lead social media.

From that post I went and found the plaster thread (I only really read BM these days) and it reinforced the additional need for some antiracism space here on mumsnet, and I got a bit het up and came back to you here.
I apologise unreservedly because bringing that to this thread was actually derailing from your original post.

If anyone would like to discuss seperate anti racism spaces I think another thread would be better and again apologies for bringing that agenda to Your topic. Hopefully it can get back on track.

@Freebleweeble please don’t apologise, your thoughts are all so so valid and welcome and mirror my own. I truly welcome them, especially feeling so raw from the poster thread. Please don’t feel you need to contain and save them for another thread. They are welcome here. I’ll PM my letter to Mumsnet, I’m sure ofher posters would articulate it better than me (English is my second language). Thank you again

@Onceuponatime1818 thank you for your response too. Thank you for teachers like you

I’ve reported a thread on MN 5 times for having lots of racist views on it , get a reply saying they will take a look, and it’s still here

@Onceuponatime1818 the plaster one?

@Lndnmummy maybe you can approach preciousonline.co.uk/, they might be interested in adding to their lifestyle section. Having said that, I haven't been on the site for many years.

@Lndnmummy

Yea, such a terrible thread! No idea why it’s still running! I wonder how many of the moderators on MN are black? I’m guessing hardly any maybe none!

I’m glad you wrote your letter @Lndnmummy.

I personally think mnhq should recruit new moderators from a range of backgrounds. Tbh they also need them working throughout the day/ evening. As it’s an online forum that increasingly attracts people from overseas ( not just expats) what’s stopping anyone in the world doing it?

In terms of setting up another platform, I think one of the things that have stopped people in the past is funding. Lots of the mnhq revenue comes from advertising and product testing.

Perhaps contacting these advertisers is a way to force the hand for better regulation.

I think the galling thing I’ve found is the inconsistency of the monitoring. Something which I personally think is not a problem is sometimes deleted but other things ( which should go) are left!

@Orchidflower1 yes absolutely! For example one of my posts were deleted on the plasters thread (I called out a poster who was racist). They deleted my post but let the racist post remain. The funding issue is an aspect that will require a lot of planning. Subscription is a possibility but I strongly feel it should be free. There are potentially grants available too. I work in marketing so hoping I’d be able to pull some favours to gain exposure and some influencer support, potentially. Sponsorship is an angle to explore too.

@Onceuponatime1818 those were one of my questions to MNHQ, do they have any black moderators? What’s the split/ratio? And how as they owners of the platform do they

@Lndnmummy

I hope you get a response

Maybe if we raise our concerns on here they are was likely to be ignored as all other suggestions are being acknowledged:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4235727-Please-help-us-to-improve-Mumsnet-join-the-Mumsnet-Talk-Testing-Panel

I’ve written about monitoring covert racism and basically called MN a institutionally racist establishment for not dealing with the racism

I meant they are LESS likely

Thanks for the link @Onceuponatime1818. I posted my letter. Will copy it here too for your reference.

Lndnmummy

Hello mumsnet,
I’ve got some questions and would welcome a dialogue around racism on mumsnet. Hopefully we can all agree it’s rife. At present I strongly suggest that mumsnet is not a safe space for black posters to voice their views. They are not being protected and really let down by the lack of moderation. I’d like to think that this is not due to ill intent but perhaps more so to a lack of understanding of what racism really is. I have some specific questions I’d like answered and a failure to a satisfactory answer/action from mumsnet will lead to me and many others to leave the site (currently a fee paying member).

1. what is your current moderation policy? I know the talk guidelines but what is the moderation policy.

2. Is all moderation activity reactive (so reliant upon other posters flagging issues) or do you do any proactive monitoring of thread? If so what’s the framework/principles? Is it done manually or by software flagging certain key words?

3. How many,if any, of your moderators are black? What does the senior leadership team in mumsnet look like in terms of ethnicity? Transparency would be welcome here.

4. How do you view your responsibility as the owners of the platform in terms of ensuring mumsnet is a safe space for all users? Do you do anything beyond reactive moderations (which by default would be highly subjective). Are you actively doing any anti racism work? If yes, where? And if no, then why not?

5. What’s your internal D&I policy?

6. What actions, if any are taken to ensure that moderators are appropriately trained to moderate? Is there a training programme? If so what does that training look like? Is it limited to induction training or are moderators undertaking any regular CPD training?

7. What efforts, if any, are taken to ensure that the entire user base of mumsnet are safe from harm and harassment on mumsnet? What specific actions are taken to ensure that protected categories and those most vulnerable have their needs met?

I’d welcome a discussion and would propose MNHQ to instigate a group conversation between the senior leadership team and mumsnetters of colour that have suffered recently during their use of this platform. Perhaps if a dialogue is opened and there is a willingness to improve the use experience of WOC then perhaps there is a way forward for not only white UK based users but the rest of us too. Thanks

@Lndnmummy

Fabulously written.

Sadly, the other threads gone silent when race was mentioned, apart from ageism then being mentioned

That is a really good letter Lndnmuumy. I have been saddened, and angry about the scale of racism on MN. I feel that MN are slow to act on it, and also they seem reluctant to comment, to make it known that racism in not acceptable on threads where it is blowing up. Their silence is deafening.

Response from Mumsnet