#i know i've reblogged a twitter thread about this a couple years ago

[pinehutch]

Welcome, April 2023

Hi new followers! A couple of days ago, someone reblogged a post that contained screenshots of a twitter thread about mass incarceration and racism, specifically as a continuation of slavery in Louisiana, USA.

The twitter thread originates from Samuel Sinyangwe, a Black activist, data scientist and policy analyst in the US. The link to the original thread, from 2017, is here:

The tumblr post originates from former user lagonegirl. I want to acknowledge this, because I've been on tumblr for a very long time, which means that I now know that lagonegirl was one of several accounts deactivated when they were found to be (to paraphrase) Russian psyops. Accounts like lagonegirl posted both factual and counter-factual information with broad appeal to leftists on tumblr, under false identities. (lagonegirl positioned themself as an Black trans woman in the USA)

Because these operations combined factual and misleading information, some of the original posts are full of genuine and important information; some aren't. The one about racism and mass incarceration in Louisiana is solid (which is why I've also linked to the original twitter thread, above).

That being said, it's always good to remember to follow-up and fact-check. I'm still a bit surprised that a post I reblogged five or more years ago is suddenly getting notes, out of the blue, but that happens on tumblr so I'm assuming it's just a coincidence.

For more information on lagonegirl and Internet Research Agency "left troll" and misinfo activities, you can check out this article, and be mindful of politics and social justice accounts you reblog from.