‘Black Twitter: A People’s History’ review: Prentice Penny’s documentary celebrates the reign of Black Twitter

In the Hulu documentary series, Black Twitter: A People’s History, comedian and commentator Baratunde Thurston notes the reason Black Twitter, the internet community that primarily represents the Black diaspora on the social media platform Twitter (currently X), has an impact on mainstream culture. He states in Episode 1, “To be fair to America, Black people be loud as hell. And the fact that we’re speaking loudly may be because we haven’t been heard. So, whatever microphone exists, we’re gonna grab it. Even if it’s not meant to be a microphone.” This quote perfectly encapsulates the power of Black Twitter, showing how the online community grants Black people a voice, even when the world tries its best to make them silent.

Based on the WIRED article by Jason Parham, “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” the three-part docuseries highlights how an online community unexpectedly drives news, politics, sports, and culture. Although the documentary covers a wide range of topics at breakneck speed, much to its detriment, Black Twitter proudly depicts an important moment in internet history.

Directed by revered television writer and showrunner Prentice Penny, the documentary covers the internet community’s humble beginnings, unanticipated rise in the mainstream media, and arguably its end. Within the three jam-packed episodes, Black Twitter recounts everything from the influence of hashtags such as #BlackGirMagic to the presidency of the first Black President of the United States, Barack Obama, to the viral success of Black-orientated television shows like Scandal and Insecure. In between all the joy and laughs, the documentary also foregrounds the ways the social media platform gives voice to the voiceless, particularly on how the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin influenced the Black Lives Movement.

Black Twitter features a murderous row of Black luminaries, including, but not limited to, comedian and filmmaker W. Kamau Bell; author and culture critic Roxane Gay; #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign; and journalist and former Twitter Director of Product and Community Rembert Browne. Penny also provides further context on the historical significance of Black Twitter and its place in pop culture through engaging narration and found footage.

The goal of Penny’s illuminating documentary is to preserve the history of Black Twitter since American society has a habit of downplaying the contributions of Black people, especially when it relates to science and technology. Unfortunately, society has erased many aspects of internet culture, particularly those geared toward the interests of Black people, like BlackPlanet, NetNoir, and Black Voices.

Black Twitter and its companion article by Parham make sure that the online community that helped fuel #OscarsSoWhite and #IfTheyGunnedMeDown gets its due. Without Black Twitter, social justice leaders such as Alicia Garza and CaShawn Thompson may not have the platform to express their concerns, such as police brutality and the adverse treatment of Black women. Thankfully, the platform amplifies their voices, ensuring everyone hears them.

Another notable detail of Black Twitter is the ticker-tape parade of talking heads Penny interviews in the docuseries. These Black entertainers, writers, community leaders, and educators represent some of the most important figures on Twitter. Together with former Twitter employees TJ Adeshola and God-is Rivera, they recall some of the funniest memes, hashtags, and stories that went viral during the early days of the social media platform.

One historical event the bunch discusses is how the #uknowurblackwhen meme crystalized Black Twitter’s cultural reach. In the fall of 2009, writer and producer Ashley Weatherspoon tweeted, “#uknowurblackwhen u cancel plans when its raining.” Instantaneously, the tweet blew up as others provided their own comments. Thanks to Weatherspoon’s cheeky observation, Black Twitter users realized that their shared experiences were more connected than initially thought.

Penny hands Black Twitter, and by extension, Black culture, its well-deserved flowers, but his documentary’s pacing falters. Although it is commendable that the docuseries features a wide range of topics, it is challenging to keep up with everything it covers. In addition to chronicling the memes and threads that put Black Twitter under the spotlight, the series also remarks on the real-life moments that defined the past two decades, such as the contentious 2016 election, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the political revolt on January 6th. It may benefit the show if it includes a few more episodes, perhaps shedding more light on what it was like to work at Twitter as a person of color and how social media can negatively affect mental health. Unfortunately, the documentary does not let these subjects breathe.

Setbacks aside, Black Twitter celebrates Black joy, creativity, and, most importantly, perseverance. Thanks to Penny’s thoroughly researched documentary, we get a broad account of one of the internet’s most influential online communities. Black Twitter gives people who are, at best, unrepresented and, at worst, misrepresented a space to laugh, cry, debate, create, and protest together. Twitter may be six feet under due to the actions of a billionaire megalomaniac, but Black Twitter will live on forever.

Black Twitter: The People’s History is available now on Hulu.

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Featured Image Courtesy of Hulu.