As any founder or entrepreneur will tell you, no two days are ever the same. Between emails, Google Hangouts, managing my team, coffee dates, business meetings, and making time for friends and family, I hardly have a minute to spare! It can feel almost impossible to stay current with what’s happening outside of my to-do list. Thankfully I have Twitter to help me.
My days are unpredictable, but Twitter is where the Blavity community spends their time. More recently, it has become my first stop for accurate and up-to-date information about the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, and other social issues affecting communities of color around the country and the world. I use Twitter to stay engaged and enlightened, which helps me to be a better advocate, friend, and global citizen.
Here are a few of my favorite accounts that I turn to for insight, deeper understanding, and thoughtful commentary that intersects with my work and life:
1. Deray McKesson (@deray) - Always on the front lines. His honesty and fearlessness are inspiring.
2. Colorlines (@colorlines) - Investigative reporting about race, and how identity impacts our everyday lives.
3. Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) - Media insider with a strong voice for the marginalized. She's also from my hometown of Saint Louis, which makes her awesome.
4. Black Youth Project (@byp_100) - Black youth-based activist organization focused on creating justice and freedom for black people everywhere.
5. For Harriet (@ForHarriet) - Consistently celebrating black womanhood in every way possible.
6. Black Lives Matter (@blklivesmatter) - A 24/7 hub for information and insight about the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
7. Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) - Scholar, activist, public intellectual, and a frequent political commentator. Always a breath of fresh air.
8. Netta (@Nettaaaaaaaa) - Activist and truth teller. She is a voice we all need.
9. Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) - Breaking news reporter with a focus on race and social issues. Her current coverage of the racially motivated deportation happening in the Dominican Republic is a must-read.
10. Ava DuVernay (@AVAETC) - Award-winning director and screenwriter with a deep commitment to making sure diverse voices are heard and amplified in the media.
(I think we do a pretty good job of that at @Blavity, too.)
There are countless other activists, leaders, journalists, scholars, and students who are doing their part in the fight for justice and a better future.
This is only a tiny cross-section of that community and through Twitter, I get to stay connected to and inspired by their work. Everyone plays a part, and I try to do mine with all the resources and gifts that I have. By tapping into this platform, I stay inspired, informed, and ready to move.
More About Morgan:
Morgan DeBaun is the CEO and Founder of Blavity, a technology and media startup that creates written, video, and social content for underrepresented millennials in mainstream media. She lives in San Francisco, loves her curls, and has a deep passion for bridging the gap between consumer brands and their audiences.
