On This MLK Day- Beware of the Misinformation Age

Commentary — By Buddy Sampson on January 18, 2021 at 1:39 pm

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day Everyone!

By Buddy Sampson

While this Commentary is directed specifically to the Black community, this commentary also is representative of the times we’re in. On this day of celebration as we celebrate a civil rights hero, we need to be cognizant of the message of unity and love that Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to implore on us. Additionally, we, as a community have to be smarter, and in light of the Capitol insurrection recently, we are seeing our communities and our democracy at peril.

We are right in the middle of The Misinformation Age. People have written fiction about our current age, almost like prophesy, authors like George Orwell, who wrote “1984,” about governmental control and misinformation, where lies are accepted with the theory that if you say them more and more, they become truth.

We have seen, for the last four years, a President who is willing to lie, cheat and circumvent the rule of law for his own selfish ends, including trying to disenfranchise the African American votes of many cities, as if we are sacrificial lambs in his route to authoritarianism.

In 2016, The Russian government spread tons of disinformation to the Black community, and they still do so to this day- why? Because they are aware that many of us don’t read and keep up with things that are pertinent to our communities. As long as we don’t educate ourselves, and keep falling for wild conspiracy theories, we will get wiped out and fall right into the hands of bad operators that want to do harm to our community.

For example, have you noticed that there are tons of conspiracy theories going around the Black community, that the Covid-19 is a “hoax,” and that the vaccine developed is a way of population control designed to kill us?

Ridiculous!

First, if there are operators trying to wipe the Black community out with vaccines, I guess they’re trying to wipe out Dr. Fauci and many other people as well, because they’re taking the vaccine. Now my thought is that the vaccine may not be available to the general public until April or May 2021 anyway, so by then, the people that have taken the vaccine in the early going will have shown some form of side effects, which will indicate for those that are skeptics to take the vaccine.

I know when it is available to the general public, I’ll be first in line to get it.

1 in 64 people in Los Angeles have the virus- 1 in 64. So, wear a mask. Social distance. And Black folks, AVOID gatherings right now.

It’s not true. This is NOT the Tuskegee Experiment all over again. This is a worldwide pandemic. And if the Black community is to survive, we have to be smarter. Especially now, in the Misinformation Age.

Two things to remember:

• If you hear anything from social media, question it. Where is the source of this information? What gives them their expertise? Are they studied? Are their conclusions based on science and research, not opinion?
• Always, always, always read multiple accounts of a story and get the opposite side of a story.

There’s an old saying, “The truth is always somewhere in the middle.” If you read multiple accounts of any news stories, including an opposing viewpoint, you can get closer to the truth, and we as Black people have been had for too long.

We need to survive.

Speaking of survival, Q’Anon, a radical group and many other White Supremacist groups have been making plans to attack our institutions and government. We, as a community also have to be vigilant, because while everyone’s preparing for attacks on the Capitol, the Black community needs to make itself aware that they could attack Black institutions as well, such as churches and Black businesses.

Secure your institutions in the best manner you can. We are in very dangerous times in this country and some misguided people, racists could attack our communities.

Be aware.

We continue to encourage diversity in our publication, even as our core readership is African American. You’re going to see multiculturalism in our publication, as we, as a reading community also read and view things in the mainstream. However, we encourage you- the Black community- to advertise and buy profiles for your business from us. We need your help to survive.

Finally, on this Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, remember that during these times, we must not be silent. We need to continue to make our voices heard as we fight against this thing called racism, because it still exists.

Wishing you all love and Blessings!