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Black Mumsnetters

This board exists primarily for the use of Black Mumsnetters. Others are welcome to post but please be respectful.

Original poster

Will MNHQ allow criticism of their moderation of posts by black women from black MN members?

114 replies

Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:11

Or are black MNers not allowed to critique the presumably largely white MNHQ. If so, I consider that to be in breach of their very rationale for the board, which they state to be 'primarily for the use of Black Mumsnetters'.

My posts, just as this one, have been respectful.

So, let's see if they also take down this post.

If so, I wonder whether they will inform me of why they have taken that action this time, seeing as I have heard nothing from them whatsoever so far.

In my opinion this behaviour is truly disgraceful. It certainly gives the impression that MNHQ have been caught out there.

OP posts:
IrishMumInLondon2020 · 23/12/2021 11:12

Fair question - how do you know that MNHQ is mainly white? I imagine it is a pretty diverse workforce.

WorraLiberty · 23/12/2021 11:18

It's not unusual to have to wait around 24 hours for a reply from MNHQ

I guess it just depends on how busy they are.

ShirleyPhallus · 23/12/2021 11:22

Every other active thread has been started by you asking the same question. Every thread gets deleted by MNHQ and they ask yoj to contact them privately.

Why not just do that?

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:27

I have contacted them.

They keep asking for me to contact them, and that does give the impression I am bat shite crazy and haven't contacted them.

I have sent an email. I have also sent a private message.

In any case, I don't see why the response needs to be private. @MNHQ I believe other black women would like to know why my posts criticising your moderation decisions have been taken down, please let the good black women of black MN in on your reasoning.

We await you,

Thanks.

OP posts:
SoupDragon · 23/12/2021 11:29

I'm not sure that tagging "@MNHQ" actually contacts them.

sadpapercourtesan · 23/12/2021 11:29

I'd probably tone down the high-handedness and try for a reasonable dialogue, if I were you Confused

You've posted two threads about this today, neither of which gives much indication of what it is you are so pissed off about. What's the point?

IrishMumInLondon2020 · 23/12/2021 11:32

I have to agree with @sadpapercourtesan - it’s coming up to Christmas and I am sure the team is up to ninety. The more haranguing messages you post, the less inclined they will be to respond, I suspect.

WorraLiberty · 23/12/2021 11:32

"We await you"

I get you're clearly annoyed but starting threads while waiting for their email reply, is unlikely to make you get it any quicker.

In fact it's just likely to wind you up more. Some people have to wait a couple of days for MNHQ to answer queries and that's if they answer them at all.

Add to that, that it's a busy time of year anyway, you may have to wait a lot longer.

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:32

@IrishMumInLondon2020

Fair question - how do you know that MNHQ is mainly white? I imagine it is a pretty diverse workforce.
I doubt we'll ever know about the diversity of their workforce. But *@MNHQ* this is certainly something I would like to know.

And if your workforce is 'diverse' do those people who are not white, truly feel they have voice? Because I'm just a poster on the board, and I don't feel at all respected or listened to. And to repeat, this is not at all t eh first tie black posters on here have spoken out about the errant moderation practices of @MNHQ. I'm not the first by a long way. There was even a post with many responses, from a poster who said they find the moderation practice so 'curious' let's say, they they would like to start a black run board instead.

So this is not just the reserve of mad ramblings of a black mum gone mad. I'm representing more women than myself in taking this on.

OP posts:
falalalalalalablahblah · 23/12/2021 11:34

You seem to be speaking for a lot of people, OP, who don't seem to be backing you up. Just an observation.

ShirleyPhallus · 23/12/2021 11:35

There was even a post with many responses, from a poster who said they find the moderation practice so 'curious' let's say, they they would like to start a black run board instead.

If you find the practices of MNHQ so unsatisfactory why continue to use the board and not set up your own then? If I used a (free) resource and it didn’t meet my needs I’d go elsewhere.

I can’t see what harassing MNHQ with no concrete examples is doing any good for

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:36

@sadpapercourtesan

I'd probably tone down the high-handedness and try for a reasonable dialogue, if I were you Confused

You've posted two threads about this today, neither of which gives much indication of what it is you are so pissed off about. What's the point?

If I talk about what I am upset about MNHQ take down the post citing that it is a post about a post.
OP posts:
flashbac · 23/12/2021 11:36

What happened OP?

sadpapercourtesan · 23/12/2021 11:38

In that case they're clearly aware of your grievance - why not just wait a little while, and then engage in good faith?

Indiscriminately spraying lava all over the boards doesn't seem to be achieving much.

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:39

I'm not wound up. I'm chilling. About the hit the beach, actually!

@flashbac If I told you, the post would be taken down. In short, I believe MNHQ has behaved at best ignorantly, at worst, in a racist manner, by taking down posts that I posted yesterday and today. No swearing, no obscenity, no 'laws' broken, one of which questioned MNHQ moderation of Black MN - quite literally, it was the only subject. MNHQ took it down.

OP posts:
IrishMumInLondon2020 · 23/12/2021 11:42

You should at least be honest and declare what the whole kerfuffle was about - a desire for a black nanny. It caused a lot of consternation.

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 23/12/2021 11:42

@falalalalalalablahblah

You seem to be speaking for a lot of people, OP, who don't seem to be backing you up. Just an observation.
The threads where I have had support have been taken down.

Perhaps some black women don't agree with me. Perhaps some do and they see how futile my efforts to get a response from MNHQ have been and they have decided to do something else with their time, given black women are among the worst paid, more likely to have bad health outcomes in general, let alone due to corona, and are raising little people who are being impacted by racism, among other very real and significant oppressions. They can't join every battle. I'm taking this one on.

Thanks for your post, though!!!

ok, beach.

OP posts:
Itisileclair · 23/12/2021 11:48

It caused a lot of racist bleating is what it caused.

OP your concerns are absolutely legitimate but I wouldn't waste any more time on this. You've stated your case and are waiting to hear back from HQ. I hope they will take the opportunity to reflect on what they're doing with the Black Mumsnet board and why they constantly allow it to be overrun by fragile white people. Hit the beach, it is holiday time.

WhoWants2Know · 23/12/2021 13:34

I saw one of OP's threads on active, so if nothing else her posts brought her concerns to a wider audience than if she had kept quiet. I don't think there's anything wrong in that.

Original poster
Jamdown123 · 24/12/2021 09:21

Had a great time at the beach, thanks. Will definitely be there for japes on Christmas Day.

MN got back to me, and said they had no issues with my post per se - the general gist is that they took down my first post because of trolling (also some concern about employment law). I didn't observe this myself as I thought I was posting a pretty boring everyday thread and hadn't checked, first I saw it has been taken down. The second, the idea that I'm an employer is a farce, so I don't need to stick with any employment laws. I'm also not offering a service myself, so I'm not barring anyone access. I can do whatever the heck I like in my own home, and if that means pushing some money towards black business, then I can, and will.

If MN cannot or will not protect this space by deleting and blocking trolls then in the least they need to need to take Black MN down from Active. We are almost never actively seeking out perspectives from posters who are not black, so if they come here they are almost always muscling in. The MN response was lazy, and supports the racist trolls.

The critical post about MN was apparently taken down because it rehashed ideas from the previous post (I wouldn't know, as I didn't see responses to my first post). But again, I believe that was just people who are not black coming to have a go because I didn't recognise any usernames.

Overall, I don't trust MN on these issues any longer. It's part of the problem because it's behaviour is so ignorant, at best. Remove BMN from active. Plain and simple.

OP posts:
Iceandmist · 24/12/2021 09:24

@sadpapercourtesan

I'd probably tone down the high-handedness and try for a reasonable dialogue, if I were you Confused

You've posted two threads about this today, neither of which gives much indication of what it is you are so pissed off about. What's the point?

Know your place!
Original poster
Jamdown123 · 24/12/2021 10:24

Yup, the thing is I'm in BMN, so there's me thinking this is my place!

Haaaaaaa

All that tells me is I'm completely right, but as a black woman I really need to be more muted when I'm standing upright against racism. Our time will come, after all, if we just take it really slowly and we are just really quiet about it!

I do wonder about people who aren't black ego are posting on here. What on earth is your life like for you to be in this space which has absolutely nothing to do with you? Don't you have better things to do? Money to make? Physical exercise to be had? Meditation to get in with?

Jokes

OP posts:
Tillsforthrills · 24/12/2021 10:33

What were your posts about that got deleted?

Tillsforthrills · 24/12/2021 10:34

@Jamdown123

Only black people can comment on an active thread in this section?

SoupDragon · 24/12/2021 10:43

[quote Tillsforthrills]@Jamdown123

Only black people can comment on an active thread in this section?[/quote]
I wouldn't dream of posting (apart from now, obviously!) because my experience is completely irrelevant. I do read though.

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