Cancel Culture: A Closer Look at How It Impacts Black Communities
In today’s world, cancel culture has become a go-to response for dealing with people and situations that rub us the wrong way. But what happens when cancelling isn’t just for public figures or influencers, but for people in our own lives—our family, friends, and loved ones. We’re taking a deeper look at how cancel culture is affecting our Black communities and why we need to think twice before cutting ties, especially when it comes to relationships that matter.
What is Cancel Culture?
Cancel culture is when people stop supporting someone, usually a celebrity or public figure, because of something they said or did that others find offensive or wrong. This often happens online, especially on social media. For example, if a famous actor says something hurtful or disrespectful, people might call for others to stop watching their movies or following them. The goal is to hold the person accountable.
Does it work?
It turns out when people are wealthy, being “cancelled” online has little effect on their bank account and opportunities. The pattern is to issue a hollow apology, then lay low and weather the temporary outrage before assuming business as usual.
When a regular person is caught saying or doing harmful things they can lose their job as the negative attention reflects poorly on their employer. This can be a permanent job loss, but we know of local cases where that same person is quietly hired back when the furor dies down. In these cases, we also notice the person is not Black.
Cancel Culture, Social Justice and Black Communities
Cancel culture started as a way for marginalized voices to hold powerful individuals accountable in movements such as #MeToo. Wealth and the intersecting forms of privilege are notorious protections that provide impunity for serious harm done to the less powerful. But over time, cancelling has become more than an accountability tool for those whom the odds are stacked against—it’s started to creep into personal relationships.
For Black communities, cancel culture holds even more weight. We’ve seen so much trauma throughout history, from the transatlantic slave trade of yesterday to the economic struggles of today, that sometimes our response to pain or betrayal is to mount a public attack or shut down and cut people off completely. While this may seem like self-preservation, it can often do more harm than good.
We have to ask ourselves: Are we truly winning, or are we just reinforcing cycles of violence and abuse?
Why Do We Cancel in the First Place?
For some, cancelling often stems from deep wounds—betrayal, broken trust, or toxic behaviour. When someone crosses a boundary or behaves in a way that feels harmful, it’s natural to want to protect ourselves and our mental health. For others, it stems from a desire for attention and the rush one gets when the likes and validating statements flood the comment section. In both cases, cancel culture is more of a quick fix, a mechanism that doesn’t solve the root problem.
For many of us, it’s easier to attack behind the safety of a keyboard, retreat into ourselves or sever relationships rather than confront difficult emotions and communicate our pain. This might feel like the safest option in the moment, but it doesn’t leave room for growth, understanding, or healing. Quick fixes also don’t build the problem solving skills we need to navigate the situations of life, thus doing ourselves a disservice in the long run.
In our Black communities, where family and relationships hold a different cultural value from mainstream, we cannot afford to abandon the very people who need our love, support, and care and with some work, can reciprocate it in return.
The Cost of Cancel Culture in Black Communities
Cancelling may seem empowering, but it’s important to understand that it has a direct impact on the emotional, mental and economic health of our communities.
We are witnessing structural/economic racism at play in the current political climate. “Last hired, first fired” has taken on a fresh meaning as Black people, Women in particular, are shown the door using anti-DEI sentiment as a pretense to degrade our competence and qualifications. In times like this, mounting a public attack in a fit of anger to ruin another Black person’s reputation and livelihood can go far beyond sticking it to that individual. It can have a generational economic impact you are now responsible for.
What about cutting folks off without the online incineration? When we isolate ourselves, we don’t just lose the opportunity for resolution and healing. We are isolating ourselves at a time other folks are pulling together to protect their own interests. We have heard many stories where Black families and friends did have flawed behaviour, but were the same people who rolled through during a time of need. Before severing relationships, think hard about who will show up for you when the chips are down.
In communities where trust is already fragile due to trauma and history, cancel culture can fracture relationships that are necessary for our collective survival. If we intend to make it through unpredictable, challenging times we need to come together, not tear each other apart.
When Is It Time to Cancel? Violation vs Offense and The Double Standard
Are we saying to never cancel someone? No. In fact, a quick look at our history shows us cancelling is not new.
Our pre-colonial societies had codes of behaviours that helped maintain peace and productivity. We were not an “anything goes” people. If repeated attempts at restoration and rehabilitation failed, one could be shunned from the village…or worse.
Violations such as thievery and assault could lead to someone losing everything. Today, it can happen because offense was taken at the wrong thing being said or someone got jealous or angry.
Therefore, it’s important to understand the difference between violation and offense.
A violation is when someone breaks a rule, law, or agreement. It’s about doing something that’s not allowed. For example, drunk driving violates the law by putting lives at risk and causing real harm to others.
An offense is when someone does something that upsets, hurts, or disrespects another person. It’s more about feelings or behavior. For example, making a rude comment can be an offense because it might hurt someone’s feelings.
In short:
- Violation = breaking a rule or law.
- Offense = hurting or upsetting someone.
Let’s be clear when canceling is necessary. In cases of repeated harm or violations, it’s necessary to protect yourself and others. We don’t need victims piling up while an offender runs unchecked. Clearly, there are some behaviours that require a legal consequence, particularly if they involve the violation of vulnerable people, especially our children. We are well aware of the failures of the justice system, nonetheless, consider bringing criminal violations to the authorities. In many cases a police investigation can interrupt violators in ways a social media post never will. Until we have the ability to protect our own communities, the judicial system is what we have.
That being said, it’s important not to conflate criminal violations with personal offenses. We need to recognize they are different. Mounting a campaign to “expose” and strip someone of their income and opportunities over a personal offense can be seen as a perpetuation of the systemic violence Black folks have already endured, and backfire with legal consequences for oneself.
Ask yourself, “is this a personal issue”? Then reflect on whether you’ve communicated your feelings clearly. Have you addressed the problem head-on? Have you allowed for the possibility of change? If not, then maybe it’s worth having that conversation first. Therapy, mediation, or family counseling can also help guide the process of navigating conflict in a healthy way.
The Double Standard
We are wading into sensitive territory here. Our team, along with many other Black Women, have witnessed a collective tendency to turn a blind eye to serial violators, particularly when they are men. They still have their proverbial plate at the cook-out. Where is the cancellation of these types, or protection against cancellation for the victims when they try to speak? We have seen thunderbolts cast from the keyboards of those enraged by the wrong word, an off-toned joke, or by folks with a low understanding of an issue. Where is the same smoke for actual violators?
We need to recalibrate our ability to assess what deeds are actually harmful and the response they should incur. Let’s reunite cancellation with discernment and bravery to not recklessly hurt, but to protect those in our lives who most need it.
Alternatives to Cancelling: Rebuilding Through Communication and Restoration
Before jumping into the act of cancelling someone in your life, consider alternatives that allow for growth and healing. Conflict is inevitable in relationships, but how we deal with it determines the strength of those relationships moving forward. Instead of cutting someone off or flaming them online, consider restorative practices—approaching the conflict with an open heart and mind, and creating space for everyone to listen, learn and make amends.
Restorative practice doesn’t mean allowing harmful behavior to continue—it means addressing the pain directly and working together to rebuild the trust that was broken. This is especially important in Black communities. The fallout from cancelling someone can go beyond just one person—it can cause rifts that ripple through families and social circles, causing lasting damage. We cannot afford to keep repeating cycles of hurt; we must work to break free from the habit of ending relationships without first giving the relationship a chance to heal.
Final Thoughts: Healing, Not Cancelling
Cancel culture can feel like a quick and easy way to hit back, but in reality, it often causes more harm than good. For Black communities where relationships are foundational, we need to be more intentional about how we deal with conflict. Instead of cancelling those who hurt us, let’s consider how we can use our voices to heal, grow, and rebuild.
Yes, some relationships may not be worth saving. But let’s remember: Healing doesn’t always mean cutting people off. It means giving people the space to learn, grow, and make things right—because we, as a community, can’t afford to give up on each other.
At the Velma Carter Centre, we believe in the power of unity, growth, and love. Let’s choose healing over cancelling, connection over isolation, and compassion over division.
Love and power,
Velma Carter Centre