We need to talk about the disinformation campaigns attempting to influence the November election and their targeted interest in Black and Brown voters.   

Earlier this month, the DOJ charged two Russian state media employees in an attempt to push back against Russia’s efforts to influence our presidential election. Russian disinformation tactics have included fake websites designed to look like authentic U.S. news outlets and AI-generated social media profiles, among other methods. 

A disturbing amount of disinformation is aimed specifically at Black and Brown voters. A recent report by Onyx Impact found that more than 40 million Americans in Black online spaces may have been given disinformation about the upcoming election. This is not a new tactic. Disinformation was used during Reconstruction in efforts to prevent Black voters from participating in elections.  

Disinformation campaigns aim to undermine our democracy and diminish our political power. Here are a few steps you can take to prevent this:

• Always check your source
• Use fact-checking resources, such as https://www.factcheck.org and https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/ 
• Be aware of divisive content

We must stay vigilant! Defending democracy is 365/24/7.