Black people didn’t need bots to care.

On June 4, USA Today ran a headline that made me pause: “

According to the article, an Israeli tech firm called Cyabra analyzed Twitter activity surrounding the backlash against Target’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. Their report claims that 27% of the accounts calling for a boycott were fake, and many of them impersonated Black users.

They called it “manufactured outrage.”They said it was an “orchestrated campaign.”They used words like “inauthentic sentiment” and implied that real people were tricked into caring.

Let me be clear: Black people didn’t need bots to care, fake accounts to outrage us, or bots to care. We’ve been paying attention to these rollbacks, responding, and building.

This Isn’t a Disinformation Problem. It’s a Disrespect Problem.

The USA Today article leans into the idea that fake Twitter accounts manipulated public perception. But it conveniently skips over the fact that Black consumers, business owners, and organizers have been speaking up and shifting our dollars with purpose, long before a “viral backlash” ever made headlines.

The Real Story They’re Ignoring

Cyabra says fake accounts impersonated Black users, used hashtags like #EconomicBlackout, and pushed calls for boycotts like “Target Fast.” But here’s what didn’t make it into the article:

• The real business owners are being dropped from shelves after Target’s pullback

• The real consumers who feel betrayed watching brands retreat from equity commitments

• The real community organizers who’ve been educating people on where their money goes and how to spend it with purpose

This wasn’t just some online storm. It was (and is) the result of real-world decisions that impact our families, our businesses, and our economy.

USA Today wants to make it seem like this was all confusion and chaos online. But what about the real business owners who are losing shelf space? The real consumers who feel betrayed? The real community organizers who’ve been educating and redirecting?

Here’s What You Can Do

-If you’re a consumer: Don’t fall for the spin. You weren’t confused. You were clear, and your choices still matter. Keep spending with intention.

-If you’re a business owner: Get on the directory at BuyFromABlackBusiness.org. We’re making space for you on real shelves, not just digital wishlists.

-If you’re watching all this unfold and wondering who to trust, start here. I’ve been doing this work long before a news cycle or a Twitter trend, and I’m not going anywhere.