I understand my inherent bias as an African-American male and that, more often than not, particular issues will have resonance with me. So, when I make assumptions and judgments, I realize the space in which I work. A space that has been crafted by where I grew up, my family background, my experiences, and my personality.

Now that I acknowledge the tint that may color the lens through which I view life, here is my commentary. We call the internet the “world wide web” for a reason…because it links people of different cultures, races, ethnicities, languages, origins, ages, sexualities, religions, etc. As a society, we marvel at the internet for its ability to bring together different hemispheres, nations, countries, and people. But what does “together” really mean? Is it simply the ability to chat? Or the ability to get minute-by-minute updates on the lives of family, friends, and even strangers?

I contend that if the internet is such a vehicle of diversity and worldwide communication that the users of these sites either do not take advantage of the opportunity to be “diverse” (because what does diversity really mean?) or are not diverse in their interactions (which is a consequence of many factors including but not limited to–upbringing, origin, race, ethnicity, religion, political leaning, individualized experience). Now, I admit that my ostensible study of diversity on social networking sites is in no way scientific or mathematic… and definitely does not pass muster for a reseach paper. There is no ratio or formula for diversity which could be part of the problem. It’s one of those things that many people talk about but that has no singular meaning. The meaning of diversity not only changes with time but also depends on who’s having the conversation. On most of the facebook and myspace pages that I peruse of both friends and non-friends and people that I know from various places, I notice that the pictures of my white friends and acquaintances tend not to feature non-whites or minorities. Conversely, most of my black friends and acquaintances do not feature whites or non-minorities in their photos. Is it for the same reason that books have been written like Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Are there fundamental differences that prevent a potpourri of difference in social interactions? Is it cultural? Is it a consequence of a color-based and biased society? Is there a stigma associated with hanging out with people that don’t look like us or not like the people that we grew up with…what about this notion of being a “sell-out?” As I browse page after page on a variety of social networking sites, these questions surface. I become especially preoccupied with people from where I grew up (Bloomfield Hills, MI) and my former classmates from elementary through high school. With the exception of elementary school, none of the schools that I attended were or even purported to be diverse. It just wasn’t something that was expected and considering the demographics of the area—it may not have been possible. I suppose that I should include a caveat.  When I mean “diverse”…I am talking about difference on the basis of either race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation. However, my hometown ranks low in all of the aforementioned categories so, by my standards, it is not and was not diverse. When I look at the pages of people from my hometown as well as, but to a far lesser degree, people from college (Columbia University), I am amazed that I once went to school with these people. I say to myself, no wonder I felt isolated, alone, marginalized and like I somehow just didn’t fit in because I didn’t. It’s a wonder that many of the people that I used to be surrounded with were so tolerant considering that many of them did not come from a place of diversity and would probably never encounter diversity again aside from forced situations like classrooms, the workplace, convenience stores, or communal living spaces. I don’t know how I made it through school when I consider the oasis of difference that I must have represented…not only because my skin is dark but because of my overall personality.

I always talk to my friends about categorizations and people being lumped in boxes. It’s an unfair fact of life. Assumptions and judgments are made first from the interplay between the eye and the brain. I believe that the gift of sight is arguably a human’s most rewarding sense. I have not fit and continue not to fit most of the stereotypes that society places on Black people. I was neither an athlete nor was I “thuggish.” So then the default category was then I must be ”acting white” or gay. There was no way around falling into a category. Though I never give consent to people to categorize me…it’s inevitable. Is it our subconscious categorizations and biases that prevent stepping out of the box? Or, is there some vast cultural gap that prevents a pervasive acceptance of diversity?  

Sure, in some cases there are cultural gaps between different ethnicities, religions, creeds, and countries. However, are a lot of beliefs manufactured by societal machinery that inculcates stereotypes, stigmas, and categories so much so that it’s acceptable to accept that we’re just different and we have to deal with it. Or maybe I’m being too euphemistic…is it simply racism? I learned years ago that race is a United States societal construction to differentiate based on skin color. Scientifically, there is little difference between humans of different “races” because race is contrived to alienate and discriminate against a so-called lesser group in favor of a superior group. I believe that many of my former classmates were racially and culturally insensitive–even racist in some cases. I think that social networking sites are a manifestation of our beliefs. While it’s ridiculous to assert that just because I see lots of the same faces in people’s pictures on social networking sites that they are all xenophobes…it does beg the question, are they?

What are the criteria for being a non-racist? Is it never making a racist comment? Is it having friends from many different backgrounds? Is it even being pictured with people from many different ethnic backgrounds on facebook and myspace? I don’t pretend to have the answers to these questions but it is very interesting to observe how many speak of “diversity” and how the world has become such a global malaise of difference. In fact, it seems to be accepted in many circles that the US is such a melting pot where everyone has the same opportunities and people do their best to appreciate difference. But how do we measure this? Is the fact that Barack Obama is running for president and may have a chance of winning the litmus test for a color-blind society? In my mind, it is comical to see so many hold up one example of a color barrier being broken as a fix all. Or even the fact that Sarah Palin could be the first female VP…does that mean that sexism is a thing of the past? All of these are interesting questions and I challenge people to look at for themselves and observe their interactions between people. What assumptions do you make when one person walks into a room instead of another?

I go back to the premise that, in theory, we are all connected in ways that we never have been yet it does not seem like anything has really changed. Rather, this “hyperlinking” of society just illustrates the rigidity that has always been and will always be. It does not appear that barriers are really being broken. There is so much credit given to the ability to instantaneously link with the world with a few keystrokes. One would think that this would make people step out of their comfort zones. There are so many information and social channels that it is no longer necessary to utilize the same ones. One can step out of the box without such severe consequences because just as you can instantaneously connect, you can instantaneously disconnect. Despite the ease and the relative lack of stigma that used to go along with hanging with certain crowds because (of course, Obama is running for President, lol) and no one can see who you talk to (unless you want them to) on the internet…there are still a lot of unmade connections. Once again, it seems to me that social networks are an illustration of how we feel are our beliefs. These connections aren’t being made in person so why would they be made on the internet.

So I guess all the black kids, the white kids, and whatever other kind of kids are sitting together because they want to and, perhaps, it’s quite presumptuous and critical of me to suggest that it should be any different. Should it be?