FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 16, 2020 Contact: info@nbcit.org
Black Activists Launch “National Black Cultural Information Trust” to Combat Cultural Disinformation Targeting Black Communities
Washington, DC – Today, a group of Black activists, scholars, and communications specialists launched the National Black Cultural Information Trust (NBCI Trust). NBCI Trust is a new initiative to combat cultural disinformation targeting Black communities online. Researchers and reports have confirmed that Black communities have been targeted online by bad actors in hopes of negatively influencing public opinion to increase divisions among Black communities, increase voter suppression, stoke anti-immigration sentiment, and other issues.
The National Black Cultural Information Trust will use communications, media, and cultural awareness to share information and resources with Black communities. The goal of the Trust is to correct and challenge cultural misinformation and disinformation surrounding racial/ethnic identity, anti-Blackness, and other false narratives that harm Black communities. NBCI Trust will host teach-ins, webinars, workshops, and townhall discussions to strengthen public awareness. Additionally, NBCI Trust will create and promote public service announcements that target African American and various communities of African descent in the United States.
The initiative was founded by Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, an African American communications specialist and cultural storyteller. Aiwuyor in her past role as the Associate Director of Communications at the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA), Aiwuyor spearheaded strategic communications for federal housing and racial discrimination lawsuits against Facebook Inc, Bank of America, and Deutsche Bank. She also led communications efforts in NFHA’s federal lawsuit against the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) concerning the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule. Additionally, Aiwuyor was a founding staff member of DC-based social justice PR firm, Megaphone Strategies.
“It’s critical to understand how misinformation and disinformation affects the Black community specifically concerning how cultural issues are used by bad actors to infuse false information. We’re being manipulated and influenced, not just concerning social issues but also concerning how we think about our lives, our cultures, and ourselves. It’s important to raise awareness both online and offline in Black communities. This requires serious action and concerted efforts. At NBCI Trust, it’s our mission to provide community-focused access to education, information, and resources,” Jessica Ann Mitchell Aiwuyor, founder of the National Black Cultural Information Trust.
The NBCI Trust Advisory Board includes activists, scholars, and artists from across the Pan African world and will also focus on engaging in Black cross-cultural dialogue to challenge cultural disinformation negatively affecting Black coalition building and digital engagement.
To learn more, visit NBCIT.org.