Marcus Garvey: His Playbook Lives On!

This is me, Samantha Simms, holding Marcus Garvey’s cane… Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!!!

Samantha Simms holding Marcus Garvey’s cane.

Last night I was invited to lime with other tech people. I nearly didn’t go and questioned who limes on a Monday night.

As the conversation rolled on, I expressed that I’m a strong advocate for Garveyesque economic principles to be applied in the digital society. I shared that the lack of black ownership at the digital platform and system level helps to carry racial inequality into our developing digital world. We are at a crucial juncture: an inclusive and just digital world relies on high-quality, unbiased data at its inception to prevent harmful data from being augmented and amplified.

For example, today, the lack of black ownership in the digital infrastructure means that many narratives affecting black communities worldwide are not owned by those communities. Who defines what is accurate, offensive, helpful, or harmful in a world where digital platforms are subject to low levels of regulation and autonomously define the “acceptable standard”?

The response: the host brought out her Great Uncle Marcus’ cane. I felt even more empowered to continue striving for digital equality.