“I’m out here—I am the news for our people.” How protesters across the country are keeping informed.
By James Yeh, originally published in Columbia Journalism Review (2020)
Photo by Misha Cohen
Joseph Blake, 48, club promoter and barber. A Portland native, Blake has livestreamed the city’s protests on Facebook for fifty-six nights in a row, since June 1. His videos are viewed by thousands.
When the protests first started, you would hear about them just on social media. They call Portland a city, but I call Portland a big town. Word gets out super fast. Right now, it’s Facebook. People are going live. Twitter, you can put a video on and talk about it. Twitter is popular with celebrities and bigwigs that have the blue check. Regular people like us, we don’t usually get too many Twitter followers. I would say Instagram a little bit, but it’s mostly Facebook, because you can add groups. Just like with the Wall of Moms—they started a Facebook group that I’m a part of. I started a Facebook group called We Gone Be Alright.
My kids are into that TikTok stuff—I can’t get into it. But that’s what got me started in this. I used to be the type who sat on the couch and watch TV and be like, “Them fools is crazy, I ain’t going out there with them crazy-ass fools.” Until I saw my son and daughter’s pages. My son, 23, is a professional photographer. He’s capturing so much stuff, it’s crazy and amazing. And my daughter, 26, is out there protesting, too. So I was like, “Well, let me see what’s going on.” I went and I got the bug, and I’ve been out there every night since then.
To be honest with you, I’m not even watching the news. They’re going to give you their story. I’m out here—I am the news for our people. I’m doing a lot of livestreaming for people who can’t get down there to see. I give it to ’em rough and raw. I’m right in the thick of things. I’m getting shot. I’ve been shot four times by rubber bullets just this week. I come home and I have to take my clothes off outside because there’s pepper-spray dust.
Anything you’ve seen on the national news coverage, man, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.
I never thought in my wildest thoughts I would be down there doing nothing like this. I didn’t know nothing about protesting, only what I seen on TV. But now it’s like I’m an expert.
Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review.