theonyximpact

Independent journalism matters. Independent viewpoints matter. Trusted information matters. A free and functioning democracy depends on a press that can serve the people with honesty. That is why we do this work. Support Black media. Support Onyx Impact. Stay in the fight.

Get informed. Protecting voting rights and advancing Black communities requires trusted information, collective action, and institutions committed to the truth. In a moment shaped by misinformation and disinformation, our communities need clarity.

This isn't AI. It's a clip from *Otis' Dream*, a documentary about Otis Moss Sr.'s attempt to vote in 1946 Georgia. Nearly 80 years later, the fight over who has access to the ballot continues. Watch the film: otisdream.com

There’s another side to the voting rights story. These wins happened because Black people pushed back.

Before Allen Iverson was an MVP, he was a headline. Labeled early. Criminalized young. Defined by narratives before the public ever knew him for themselves. Iverson changed basketball. But the story told about him reveals how media shapes perception.

Kia's back with another round of #TruthOrTrap , featuring Deja . 🎉 This episode covers: 📺 Fresh Prince 🎶 Lauryn Hill 🗳️ The Voting Rights Act Culture, history, and misinformation all collide in this one 🔥 #OnyxImpact

Last weekend, Selma & Montgomery reminded the country that the fight for voting rights is still alive. Following the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act, organizers, faith leaders, and communities gathered for a National Day of Action. The movement continues. #VotingRights

We’re doing AI the right way. Meet Aisha, our AI-powered platform helping Black communities identify misinformation, access trusted information, and navigate the digital world with clarity. AI is shaping the future. Aisha helps make sure our communities are part of it.

This weekend, people gathered in Selma & Montgomery for a National Day of Action after the dismantling of key Voting Rights Act protections. The message was clear: the fight for voting rights is not over. It’s our turn. Our time. Our responsibility. #VotingRights

This weekend, people gathered in Selma & Montgomery for a National Day of Action after the dismantling of key Voting Rights Act protections. Rep. Terri Sewell’s message was clear: voting rights are fundamental — not partisan.

The fight for our vote is more urgent than ever. Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana v. Callais is a move to erase Black representation, but we won't let that happen. It's on us to stay informed, get involved, and demand change. Our power is in our unity and knowledge.

TOMORROW, more than 100 organizations are gathering in Selma & Montgomery for a National Day of Action. The dismantling of the Voting Rights Act is a reminder that we have unfinished business. This fight is ours and we are going to finish it. Join us: allroadsleadtothesouth.com

One week after the Supreme Court gutted key Voting Rights Act protections, Tennessee Republicans eliminated the ONLY majority-Black congressional district in the state. Rep. Justin Pearson spoke out about the meaning of this political power being reshaped in real time.

@jadakiss said it: Money. Power. Respect. The Special Edition Blackout Report finds Black-owned businesses receive just 1.2% of federal contract payments, while $9.3B in annual Black wealth creation could be at risk. Read the report: blackoutreport.org #BlackoutReport

Misinformation is a weapon, but our power is real. They’ve tried to silence and disarm us for generations, telling us our vote doesn’t matter. But history proves otherwise. Freedom isn’t given—it’s fought for, again and again. It’s our turn to reclaim what’s ours.

The Supreme Court's recent ruling gutted the Voting Rights Act—a law that ended Jim Crow and safeguarded our ability make our voices heard in elections that impact our lives. Without strong protections, we risk losing vital funding and representation over the next decade.

The Supreme Court just gutted the Voting Rights Act. This could impact millions of voters and shift up to 19 congressional seats. Some projections say nearly half of Black-majority districts in parts of the South could disappear.

DEI has become a political smokescreen. Funding cuts hit Black institutions. Targeting programs serving Black communities. One example gets amplified into a full justification. Esosa Osa calls it a mis- and disinformation strategy. And it’s working.

Hundreds of AI-generated accounts pushing pro-Trump narratives have embedded across platforms and they look like real creators. Generative AI makes political messaging faster, cheaper, and scalable. We’re entering a phase where voices can be manufactured in real time.

At Essence Fest, Esosa said it clearly: Disinformation works because repetition feels like truth. The more people hear a claim, the more believable it becomes. The more they see it, the more they think everyone else believes it too. That’s the power of hyper-amplification.

Context matters with AI. If your prompt is too vague, AI can confidently give you the wrong answer. Ask about “the Green Book” without context, and it may pull from a totally different history than the one you meant. Be specific. Prompts matter. #OnyxImpact #AI #AILiteracy

Esosa said it clearly on State of the People: We are in an information war. And right now, we are losing. This isn’t just about truth. It’s about protecting art, history, likeness, and Black voices in a digital system that too often suppresses us while boosting harm.

VOTING IS STILL OPEN. Vote for Onyx Impact x Washington Informer in the Webby Awards. This nomination recognizes our Information Integrity Lab and the work of connecting trusted Black newsrooms with creators. 🗳️ Vote here: https://bit.ly/4vg2UU2

Aisha started with a real question: How do we build a tool people will actually use? Not more friction or confusion, but something that helps people find better info faster — especially when mainstream tools keep missing Black history, politics, and culture.

Award Season isn't over yet! Cast your vote for Onyx Impact x @booker_squared and @WashInformer in the Webby Awards. 🗳️ Vote at https://bit.ly/4vg2UU2 #OnyxImpact #WebbyAwards

Esosa and Conscious Lee put it plainly on The Shade Room Live: AI needs guardrails around privacy + intellectual property. Without them, we get more deepfakes, more disinformation, and more digital theft. #OnyxImpact #Aisha #AI #DigitalTheft #Privacy #AIethics

Disinformation is here. The response can’t be passive. Don’t just scroll. Question what you see. Trust your gut. Verify. Then verify again. #OnyxImpact #Disinformation

Want to find Black newspapers in your state? Go to Onyx Impact, click Aisha, and type in your state. She’ll help you find local Black news. Making trusted Black media easier to find is part of the work. #OnyxImpact #Aisha #BlackMedia #LocalNews #BlackPress

Trust in media may be down. But Black people still trust Black media. The real challenge is making sure trusted Black publications are visible in the digital spaces where people actually get information now. Black media has carried our truth for almost two centuries.

Before you share it, pause. Esosa’s message in this episode of Information Power Lab is simple: check multiple sources, follow trusted Black news, and talk openly about what’s real and what’s not. Better information habits = stronger communities. #OnyxImpact #BlackMedia

This from @sineadbovell is worth paying attention to. As AI gets pulled closer to state power, surveillance, and national security, the real question is not just what the tech can do. It is who it serves, who it protects, and who it puts at risk. #AI

Esosa is back with more puns 😂 Just a little joy for your timeline! #Comedy #blackjoy #Puns #OnyxImpact

“Somewhere I read…” Freedom and justice were supposed to be guaranteed in America. Nearly 60 years later, Dr. King's words are eerily relevant given today’s reality: protests met with force, families torn apart by ICE raids, and basic rights treated as privileges.

Disinformation doesn’t just “spread.” It’s designed, pushing language and images that make false stories feel personal. So here’s the move: SLOW DOWN. When something triggers a strong reaction, pause. Because your attention is valuable.

What gives us hope right now? The resilience + creativity of Black communities. Even in the face of adversity, we’ve always found ways to support each other — and fight for truth. But here’s the message: We can’t move through what’s coming alone.

Be true to what you said on paper. MLK Day isn’t just about remembering him— it’s about remembering what he demanded. MLK called out America’s hypocrisy—plain and direct. “Somewhere I read…” Freedom of speech. Freedom of assembly. Freedom of the press. The right to protest. #OnyxReceipts

Being smart isn’t the flex. Being understood is. Anyone can use big words and sound informed. But can you explain what’s happening in a way people actually get, while they’re scrolling past a million things a day? We add context & communicate in ways that are actually helpful.

3.4 BILLION dollars in programs that protect Black communities have been frozen. Cancer research. Sickle cell research. Black businesses. Black entrepreneurs. All erased. Quietly. They can delete the data. They can’t delete the truth. Read the Blackout Report.

We need to invest in Black news, Black media, and Black institutions that people already trust and engage with. The demand is there. If we want healthy information systems, we have to fund them. Not someday. Now.

Disinformation preys on our brains' natural tendencies. When false messages flood our feeds day after day, they start to feel true. Social media’s power to amplify lies has never been greater, making it easier than ever to manipulate perceptions.

Disinformation thrives when we react instead of reflect. Resisting it means doing the work: research the source, verify the claim, and don’t take everything online at face value.

Black history IS American history. As we approach America's 250th anniversary, it’s worth asking: whose stories are being told vs. being erased? Disinformation and propaganda have tried to minimize Black contributions, treating us like outsiders in a place we helped build.

But… did you see these kicks though??? In case you didn't know, our CEO Esosa Osa is a HUGE sneakerhead so you know the kicks had to be fire whenever we stepped out this year 😂 Just a few highlights from this year’s rotation....

2025 was a year of momentum. New ideas. Hard conversations. Real impact. Every step sharpened the vision and we’re just getting started. Here’s to what we built. And what’s coming next.

You can’t shape the future if you’re still erasing the past. From the Blackout Report to our partnerships with Black-owned media, the work is clear: protecting Black history, Black data, and Black storytelling isn’t optional. It’s foundational. Black history IS American history.

Ok it's time to settle this. Who really takes the Jollof crown? 🇳🇬 Nigerian Jollof? 🇬🇭 Or Ghanaian Jollof? No matter where you land, one thing’s clear: West Africa stays undefeated. Drop your flag in the comments or confess if you love them both.

Gregory Jackson is a gun violence survivor and advocate who helped shape and pass the historic, bipartisan Safer Communities Act while working directly with the White House. The result? A 31% reduction in homicides, proof that policy backed by lived experience can save lives.

Gun violence touches every corner of our communities, affecting 1 in 5 Americans and becoming the leading cause of death for Black men, youth, and even pregnant women. It’s not just statistics; it’s lives shattered, futures changed forever. We can't ignore this crisis any longer.

591 books by Black authors were banned from Pentagon-run schools under this administration. As Godfrey breaks down, Black history in schools has always been limited, sanitized, or erased. The truth has always lived outside the system. Read Black authors. Support Black educators.

Reposting because it still matters. Joshua Doss breaks down how the Digital Greenbook and Aisha are designed to help Black communities navigate the digital world with clarity and protection—not confusion. This is what digital safety looks like.

If the data is uncomfortable, that means it’s working. The Blackout Report isn’t bias. It’s evidence. 15,000+ incidents. Verified. Tracked. Reviewed. We’re here to protect our community with truth...and receipts.

ICYMI: TRUTH OR TRAP Auntie edition?? Dayna pulled up on Norfolk State's campus to put students’ cultural knowledge to the test—and the answers had us laughing and learning. 😂📚 Be honest… would you pass? #YearInReview

100,000 of you. One mission. Thank you for showing up, tapping in, and refusing to let misinformation have the last word. 🖤 Level Up. Lock In. Move Different. More tools, more Truth or Trap, and more ways to protect Black futures are on the way.

ICYMI: Kam took Truth or Trap to the streets to see who really knows their Black history. Did the Trump administration actually try to scrub Jackie Robinson from federal sites? And what role did Medgar Evers play that most textbooks skip right over?

When the data is this loud, there’s no room for spin. Cuts to Black institutions? Deleted datasets? Banned books? That’s not a coincidence — that’s a coordinated rollback. The Blackout Report laid out the receipts. Axios amplified it. Kam is breaking it all the way down.

👀 ICYMI: TRUTH OR TRAP with Don Lemon? Our very own Kam Middlebrooks connected with Don Lemon for a rapid-fire drop of history, culture, and real talk — from HBCUs shaping STEM to the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott.

The Blackout Report has surfaced more than 15,700 coordinated hits on Black progress including deleted data, banned books, gutted research, and policy choices designed to choke opportunity at the root. We've documented every move, every pattern, every attempt to dim our future.

Black excellence isn’t a trend. It’s a force. And this year’s The Root 100 made that plain. We were honored to sponsor the celebration and to stand with The Root, a platform that continues to uplift our stories and tell the truth with no filter. We’re locked in for the long haul.

Three-Fifths wasn’t a glitch. In fact, it feels eerily relevant today. It was the blueprint: Use Black bodies to gain power but deny Black people the power to use it. It feels like we're still seeing the ripple effects today.

Platforms profit from our culture, our image, and our voices but rarely protect us. Ownership of our likeness and digital footprint isn’t optional. Staying informed and staying diligent is a must. It’s how we stay safe, empowered, and in control.

Tyler Perry wasn’t being dramatic. He was being accurate. Black history is being censored, sanitized, and stripped from public memory. The Blackout Report tracks the tactics behind this erasure and the impact it has on our culture, safety, and political power.

Money. Power. Respect. How do our communities get any of that when the blueprint is being erased? This goes beyond politics. This is survival. We’re grateful to Jadakiss for using his voice to make sure nobody deletes our future. Read The Blackout Report: https://blackoutreport.org/

🎙️ “You got McDonald’s money?” 🍟 Kam is back with a brand-new episode of Truth or Trap, and this time it’s all about generational knowledge — from classic Black sayings to Michael Jackson’s The Wiz. One thing’s for sure: the lessons (and laughs) keep passing down.

🎙️ Kam hits Virginia Beach — and the answers are... 😂 From Hampton vs. Howard debates to calling out the truth behind the Tuskegee Experiment, this episode of Truth or Trap proves that learning our history can be fun and fire. Knowing what’s real is how we protect our stories.

Esosa Osa breaks down how we fight disinformation with innovation. From the Digital Green Book to Aisha, Esosa shows how we can protect our stories, choose trusted Black-led sources, and build digital spaces that keep our community informed and resilient.

When Stacey Abrams speaks the world listens. On #ListenToBlackWomen via madame Noire, she shouted out our founder Esosa Osa and our AI tool Aisha. We built Aisha to provide facts, context, and clarity in a world flooded with misinformation. Learn more at OnyxImpact.org/Aisha