Digital Sovereignty: Building Our Own Tables in the Digital Age

by Minista Jazz: SISTERHOOD SIT-IN

In my father's first-grade classroom, during daily prayer circles, his teacher would hold his sleeve instead of his hand. A subtle yet impactful gesture that spoke volumes about belonging, about who gets to fully participate in shared spaces, about being tolerated and not celebrated. Today, as I navigate digital spaces, I'm reminded of how these dynamics persist. Recently, Nana AI? was described with racial slurs (I want you to imagine what she was called that also begins with an "n") to the subtle and overt ways Black voices are marginalized online.

But here's what I know: Black women have always been architects of sanctuary.

Our grandmothers turned kitchens into command centers. Our mothers transformed church basements into organizing headquarters. And now, it's our turn to build sovereign digital spaces that honor our whole selves.

Why Digital Sovereignty Matters Now

During this Black History Month, we're reminded that our ancestors understood something crucial: having your own space isn't just about comfort – it's about survival, growth, and liberation. They created Black-owned banks, newspapers, and businesses not because they couldn't enter other spaces, but because they knew the power of building their own.

Digital sovereignty follows this legacy. It's about:

- Owning our narratives in a world quick to misrepresent us

- Building technology that recognizes our features, our voices, our patterns

- Creating safe spaces where we don't have to code-switch or explain our existence

- Developing platforms that amplify rather than exploit our cultural contributions

The Cost of Digital Integration Without Sovereignty

Integration without power-sharing is merely occupation. Many of us have experienced the exhaustion of being the "first" or "only" in digital spaces, tech companies, and online communities. We've seen our cultural contributions copied without credit, our innovations overlooked until validated by others.

The promise of universal digital spaces often mirrors the incomplete promise of integration – you can enter, but can you truly belong?

Building Our Digital Kitchen Tables

Like the historical significance of our kitchens – spaces where we've always been free to be our full selves – we need digital spaces built with our experiences at the center. Spaces where:

- Our technological innovations are celebrated, not appropriated

- Our cultural context is the default, not the exception

- Our safety is prioritized, not an afterthought

- Our economic power is amplified, not exploited

The Call to Digital Collective Action

Just as our ancestors organized for their futures, we must organize for ours. Once upon a time, digital literacy was lessons on understanding real news from fake. But the lesson needs to elevate. We need to not just know how to use technology but also understand how to shape it, own it, and ensure it serves our communities.

This means:

- Supporting Black-owned digital platforms and tools

- Learning to build and control our own technology

- Creating networks that prioritize our economic and social advancement

- Developing AI systems that respect and reflect our humanity

The Future is Sovereign

Some might say it's not popular to be proudly Black in tech right now. That the funders are looking at other "buzz" words and true to form, we compromise. We compromise because we don't want to sacrifice our comfort. But our ancestors didn't wait for popularity to build what our communities needed. They understood that true freedom requires both the ability to enter any door AND the power to build your own house.

As we navigate this digital age, let's remember: we don't have to be just users of technology – we're its architects, visionaries, and protectors. Our digital sovereignty means more than having a seat at the table. It is the time to build our own tables, define their purpose, and decide who gets to sit where.

The flood is coming – a digital transformation that will reshape society. Like Noah, some of us see it coming. We're building our arks not out of fear, but out of vision and necessity. The question is far from whether we need to build, but who will be courageous enough to join us in the building.

Who's ready to lift this wood?

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This article is dedicated to every Black woman who has ever felt the need to shrink herself in digital spaces. Your genius doesn't need permission to pour out. Your dreams aren't just dreams; they're blueprints for our future. Sending you digital hugs because that is what our Nana's would do...