Attn: Peter Stern

Two days later, as the post continued to attract numerous views and comments, Black Zebra’s entire Facebook page was deactivated for posting “fraudulent or misleading content.” In two meetings and significant written correspondence, the Black Zebra has asked Facebook to explain what happened and clarify how Facebook safeguards Black content against page and content removal. [...] Facebook agreed to meet with Black Zebra and other advocacy organizations to explain what led to this error and to discuss broader concerns with the disparate treatment Black users, and in particular Black-owned independent media, experience on its platform. [...] However, this optimism faded when Facebook refused to disclose what led to the takedown of Black Zebra’s page – information that is are necessary to understand the systemic issues that have long made the platform an unsafe and unreliable forum for Black people. [...] Yet, even in this moment, hundreds of Facebook users continue to report that antiracist posts related to the movement for Black lives are being wrongfully flagged or removed.4 And Facebook refuses to reckon with the possibility that the removal of Black Zebra’s page is part of this systemic racist history of silencing Black voices. [...] Accordingly, we write to demand that Facebook further investigate the removal of Black Zebra’s page on June 9 and provide answers to the following questions related to that removal: 2 Color of Change, Civil Rights is an afterthought to Facebook.