I'll Make A Supersonic Nerd Out Of You

Black Lives Matter

Last week we reacted with feeling. This week we’re channeling that feeling into fuel for action. 

The ongoing protests against police brutality are not just a response to the unnecessary deaths of a few. They are a response to 401 years of racism. The unequal treatment of BIPOC was built into the blueprint of the United States, and we still see the indirect and direct consequences of that fact. 

Tumblr has a moral obligation to our community to use this platform in a socially responsible manner. Staying silent about our solidarity with the police brutality protests last week was not an option. Simply spreading our message of solidarity without actionable follow-up this week was not an option, either. 

What Tumblr is doing

Diversity and inclusion will remain an ongoing open and honest conversation within our company. This week we have come together as an organization to make sure the necessary conversations are being held. Dialogue is great, but action is needed. 

Hate speech is not allowed on Tumblr. That sort of hateful rhetoric leads to violence. White supremacists, Nazis, and other purveyors of hate can fully fuck off. They are not welcome here. As we promised last month, hate speech will not go unchecked. If you see hate speech, report it to our Trust & Safety team. They will remove all content against our Community Guidelines.  

Tumblr is a platform. The small team of <200 employees behind Tumblr are people. People who are scared, hopeful, angry, sad, and impassioned. People who care. As individuals, many of us are marching, protesting, and donating. We wanted to share some of the places we’ve donated to over the last two weeks in the hopes that you’ll check them out yourselves:

Color of Change demands justice and equality for Black people in the United States.

Black Girls Smile is dedicated to providing young Black women with mental health resources.

Equal Justice Initiative works to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality. 

Homeless Black Trans Woman Fund provides Black trans women in Atlanta with housing, food, and necessities.  

Our social advocacy team is seeking more activists to do Issue Times on issues that affect the Black community. So often, the best suggestions come from all of you. Let us know who you want to hear from. As always, we will read the reblogs from this post.

Our official Tumblr for all things social advocacy, @action​, will continue to reblog posts from the community on more ways to help support the protests. 

Ways we can all help

Over the years, the Tumblr community has solidified itself as being passionate advocates for social justice. Through your posts, group chats, and messages, you educate yourself and others. If you’re not Black, commit to being a better ally. Listen to the Black community. 

Last week @theblackoutofficial​ collected a nice list of resources here on Tumblr. You can stay further informed by following the Black Lives Matter, BLM, and protests tag.

There is a place for everyone in the Black Lives Matter movement. You may be unable to march or attend rallies, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit on the sidelines. You can pass out water, masks, and hand sanitizer if you can’t march. You can donate to a charity you believe in or give money to your local mutual aid organization. 

Contact your officials to encourage our communities to invest in areas we know can prevent crime before it even happens: youth services, education, adequate housing, trauma services, counseling, and restorative justice programs. You can use these easy pre-filled form emails for a number of cities.

Just yesterday, U.S. House and Senate leaders introduced the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. This legislation may work to hold police accountable for their actions. We’re watching the developments of this closely, and suggest you do, too. Call your senators and call your representatives to support this legislation. 

Are you an artist of any kind? Or do you just like art? There are tons of artists on Tumblr who are doing commission fundraisers for charities that have an impact on Black communities. Considering buying something or starting one yourself. 

Lastly: Vote!  

To the #Blackout Community and Tumblr at large, 

We know you must have a lot of questions or are feeling distressed about the news. The world has been dealing with a lot this year, and it is an especially harrowing time for Black Americans and Black folks abroad. We know your biggest question right now could be summed up by a quote from Toni Morrison:

“What can I do where I am?”

Here at #TheBlackout, we have decided to help you start finding an answer to that question - we feel that we need each other. We need unity, organization, a clear sense of direction, but more importantly, a space where you can be yourself without judgement or fear.

So, in addition to boosting your art and businesses, our highest priority right now is to provide you all with resources to help you start from where you are.

This is a masterpost of places you can donate, find mental health + spaces for radical self-care, and just do something fun. We will be adding on as things change. 

Donate/Boost/Sign:

Minneapolis Freedom Bail Fund  & Louisville Community Bail Fund 

Reclaim the Block

Black Visions Collective

The Official GoFundMe of George Floyd’s Family

Official Petition for Breonna Taylor 

Justice for Regis Official Fund

Tony McDade’s Memorial Fund

Black Lives Matter Network

Mental Health Resources:

Ethel’s Club - Black-owned and operated social club offering access to Black therapists and a multitude of creative events for People of Color. 

Crisis Text Line - A different approach to crisis intervention, Crisis Text Line offers you help when you text 741-741. You’ll be able to chat with someone who is willing to listen and provide you with additional resources.

Shine Text. – Black-owned! Sign up to receive cheerful texts and tips every day. 

Therapy For Black Girls - A Black-owned a directory to help you find Black therapists in your area. 

Tips for Organizing/Protesting:

Knowing your rights - ACLU

How To Prepare for a Protest. (Remember to wear a mask in or to protect yourself!)

A Twitter thread of suggested readings

Fun Online Communities and Things to Do:

Some of our favorite online communities. 

Nerd Culture: @blacknerdproblems, @superheroesincolor

Poetry and Literary Spaces: Cave Canem Literary Balms program for Black poets,  Nuyorician Online Open Mic Events, Well-Read Black Girl

Podcasts: Therapy For Black Girls, Strong Black Legends by Netflix’s Strong Black Lead, The Read with Crissle and Kid Fury.

Hobbies: #BlackBirdersWeek by BlackAFinSTEM (5/31 - 6/8), Wellness Week by Black Girl Gamers. 

Tumblr has always been a fierce believer in free speech and the power it gives to the people who wield it. Throughout history, free speech has been the most important tool used to fight for racial and social justice. The protests being held in honor of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery are no different. They are important. They should not be ignored or derided. The disproportionate violence Black people face from those who have power in our country is not acceptable. It’s on all of us, regardless of race, to stand up for what is right, to demand justice, and to demand change. 

Say their names.

These past few months have been interesting, to say the least. So far, 2020 has thrown us curveball after curveball, but it’s also put us in touch with the power of the Tumblr community. Seeing you all come together to support one another through an uncertain time has made our hearts grow three sizes. 

The @fandom​ team is eyeballs-deep in the tags every day, looking at every trend from the serious to the absurd (we see you, Adrichat shippers), and taking note of all the communities constantly springing up on Tumblr. We pulled the tag data from January 1st, 2020 - April 22nd, 2020 and looked at which communities have the highest trending scores - taking into account the amount of searches, original posts, reblogs, and likes made during that time frame.

We usually only share this list during Year in Review, but given the circumstances, we figured now is a good time to discover a new community or 10. Maybe this will spark ideas for new posts! Tag your posts and jump in.

Artists on Tumblr

Studyblr

Photographers on Tumblr

Witchblr

Writers on Tumblr

Poets on Tumblr

Throwbackblr

Cats of Tumblr

Dogs of Tumblr

Simblr

Curators on Tumblr

Mineblr

Fitblr

Langblr

Bookblr

Frogblr

Jumblr

Black Tumblr

Birblr

Classicfilmblr

the wonders of the digital age

“LET’S SAVE THE WORLD AGAIN…”

Dusting off the cobwebs

Over the past couple of weeks, we have slowly rolled out a spiffy new version of Tumblr on the web. Here’s a smattering of goodies in the update:

Dark mode is now available on the web! Along with a few other color schemes, too. Just click the silhouette figure in the upper right corner and then click “Change Palette” to cycle through all of ‘em.

You can now view your likes page in the default view or in the new grid view.

Same with any tagged pages. Here, try it out with the frog tag. A glorious grid.

Copying the link to a post, reporting a post, or blocking someone whose content you don’t enjoy is easier than ever. Just click the meatballs menu (●●●)  in the upper right corner.

Some of these visual changes are obvious, but the biggest transformation is the one you can’t see. This wasn’t just a facelift, we completely updated the web interface. The old one was outdated—over a decade old. Adding features to it wasn’t always easy, fixing bugs wasn’t always quick. It was clear that we needed to update the whole dang thing. So update the whole dang thing we did. The result? A faster Tumblr. The experience is smoother, it’s easier to add new features, and we’re able to squash any pesky bugs quicker than before.

XKit

This kind of web interface change means that some of your Tumblr browser extensions may not work. We understand how important these extensions are to those of you who want to customize your Tumblr experience as much as possible. Throughout this process, we’ve stayed in close communication with the people over at @new-xkit-extension to make sure our update was one that they could work with. We provided them with APIs they needed to begin moving over to this new platform. This also gave us the opportunity to discuss the benefits their extension brings to the community. Having their input on what makes their service valuable to the people who use it has been a true treat, and one we are grateful for. While XKit isn’t an official Tumblr tool, it’s one we know is dear to many of you, and we don’t take that lightly. If you have any concerns, we encourage you to read more about what they have to say over here. Be sure to follow them to stay updated on their process!

We want to hear from you

The idea is to put Templeton in the cart so I won’t buy so many plants…apparently I found a way around that.

As you’re probably aware, the coronavirus disease, or COVID-19, has now been found in countries all over the globe. This is an understandably disconcerting moment for many, but there are steps we can all take to help mitigate the effect on our communities.

COVID-19 is spreading, but misinformation and disinformation are spreading even faster. The most responsible thing you can do is protect yourself from both the disease and false information. Being prepared with facts and data instead of assumptions and fabrications will help inform how you can best prepare for COVID-19.

Here are some resources you can trust:

WHO provides daily updates surrounding COVID-19’s spread, infection rate, and general influence on our society. Their latest update given on March 3, 2020, details that there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals. They also provide a very handy FAQ section, where you can learn more about how to protect yourself and your community. 

Every day Worldometer updates its website with the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in each country that has been affected. Worldometer has been rated one of the best free reference websites by the American Library Association, and for good reason: it lists every single one of its regular sources here, and lists the source of every COVID-19 update at the bottom of the COVID-19 page. 

Your local health department will often have the most up-to-date information specific to your immediate area, including how to proceed if you believe you may be showing symptoms of the virus. If you live in the United States, you can find the contact information for your health department by visiting the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

There’s another thing about this news that a lot of places are not talking about: the toll on one’s mental health, especially if you are someone who struggles with anxiety. If you find your concerns about being prepared are crossing a line that affects your mental health, please consider reaching out to a loved one who can guide you to help, a mental health professional, or an organization set up to help those in need.

Here are a couple of organizations you can trust:

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support. Just text 741741 from anywhere in the United States. The Crisis Text Line will connect you with a trained Crisis Counselor. 

National Alliance on Mental Health (@namiorg) offers free support and resources for those who are struggling. NAMI can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 am - 6 pm EST at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email at [email protected].

Take care of yourselves, Tumblr. Wash your hands well, practice keeping a safe distance from others, only wear a mask if you believe you are sick with COVID-19 symptoms and could infect others (or are immunocompromised yourself), and remember to fact check everything that you see. Head on over to @world-wide-what for a refresher on what fake news looks like and how it spreads. Pass those tips onto others when you see them accidentally spreading false information. 

DuckTales Season 3 Expands The Disney Afternoon Cinematic Universe As It Gets April 4th Premiere On Disney XD

Season 3 of DuckTales will continue this trend when it launches in April, premiering characters whose appearance on the show was first teased in a poster released at San Diego Comic Con 2019.  The new season will see appearances by Donald Duck’s longtime love interest Daisy Duck and his old friend Goofy, as well as other characters from Tale Spin, Chip N’ Dale Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck. The main story will also pit Scrooge and his friends and family against the Fiendish Organization for World Larceny (F.O.W.L.) - a sinister spy group from Darkwing Duck.

In addition to introducing more classic Disney characters into the reality of the new DuckTales, season 3 will also feature guest performances by some of the best voice actors in the business. This includes Giancarlo Esposito (Gustavo “Gus” Fring on Breaking Bad), Selma Blair (Liz Sherman in Hellboy), Kristofer Hivju (Tormund Giantsbane in Game of Thrones), Bebe Neuwirth (Lilith on Cheers), Retta (Donna Meagle in Parks and Recreation), Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa Diaz in Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Jaleel White (Sonic in various Sonic The Hedgehog cartoons.)  The cast for season 3 will also include Doug Jones, Clancy Brown, James Marsters, Hugh Bonneville, Abby Ryder-Fortson, Tress MacNeille, Bill Farmer, James Monroe Iglehart and Adam Pally.