How Black Twitter became a cultural juggernaut

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View this email in your browser  |  Manage newsletter subscriptions  01.02.22 Midway through last year, Twitter celebrated the 15th anniversary of its launch. Yay? It's a crucial part of the modern internet—but not exactly beloved these days. So how to celebrate? One of our senior writers, Jason Parham, had an idea: a history of Black Twitter. But not just any history. For years, people have talked and written about Black Twitter, the loose network of Black users who, from the very beginning, have defined the platform's potential to unite communities, make art, and affect change. What Jason was suggesting was an oral history, told almost entirely in the voices of the participants, the people who were there, who made it happen. It had never been done before. Off he went. Lots of interviews, transcriptions, and conversations later, three eras of Black Twitter emerged, so we decided to split the oral history into three parts. The first, called "Coming Together," chronicles the early days, as Black users—often in or just out of college—found their way to a new social platform and began to figure out what it could do. So start there, and then proceed to the next two chapters, where Jason continues to guide us through the history, framing it around key events, while letting his subjects speak for themselves. (It's now in development as a docuseries as well!) The result is a chorus of voices, all talking about a phenomenon that can't quite be explained but must be experienced. The Editors   A People's History of Black Twitter, Part I BY JASON PARHAM | 12-MINUTE READ From #UKnowUrBlackWhen to #BlackLivesMatter, how a loose online network became a pop culture juggernaut, an engine of social justice, and a lens into the future.   A People's History of Black Twitter, Part II BY JASON PARHAM | 11-MINUTE READ No longer just an online movement, Black Twitter takes to the streets—and finds its voice.   A People's History of Black Twitter, Part III BY JASON PARHAM | 12-MINUTE READ Joy and pain, harmony and discord, organization and chaos—there's no single way to define Black Twitter's complex, ongoing legacy.   Why the History of Black Twitter Needed to Be Told GADGET LAB PODCAST | 30-MINUTE EPISODE In this episode of the Gadget Lab podcast, Jason Parham takes us inside one of the most influential communities on the internet and shares their stories in their own words.   LISTEN NOW GET WIRED New Year, New Ideas. Give yourself the gift of information. Get the print edition of WIRED and exclusive subscriber-only stories for just $29.99 $5. Subscribe now.         Have questions or comments? Reply to this email.   This e-mail was sent to you by WIRED. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, wired@newsletters.wired.com, to your address book.   View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe or manage your newsletter subscriptions   Copyright © Condé Nast 2022. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.