It may surprise you to see a blog about social media from us. After all, the platforms that make up the social media environment are so ubiquitous now. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter . . . these make email, texts, and traditional advertising seem old-fashioned. For a group with a mission like ours, embracing social media is as fundamental as establishing a website. Still, we debated whether, and how, to leverage these platforms. Ultimately, we realized that while several of our members and subscribers are active across the gamut of applications, some prefer one over another, or none. To reach the broadest number of people, we recognized that we needed to diversify.
That’s why we’ve added a Facebook page, a Twitter handle, and a YouTube channel to our array of touch points along the social media continuum. The icons at the bottom of our website pages easily link you to our accounts. From our website—the main hub of our content—to our Facebook page, Twitter account, and YouTube channel, anyone interested in our activities can stay in touch.
Of course, there will be differences in how we use each of these touch points. Our website will include our featured poems, blog posts, and event announcements; a gallery; and ways to contact us. We’ll use Facebook and Twitter to spontaneously share information and to build our community. For example, we’ll provide information about social justice issues, relevant calls for poetry submissions, and concepts that may spur poem ideas among our members. The videos we post on our YouTube channel will expand the reach of PAR USA and its members. Ultimately, we want to maximize the impact of our poets as they use the power of language to confront racism, bigotry, and hate.
So if you’re active on Facebook or Twitter, seek us out on those platforms! Check out our videos on YouTube as well. Follow us, comment on our content, and share our posts and tweets with your like-minded friends and anyone else who may be inspired by social justice poetry to take action or make change.
Also, we always welcome your comments sent to poetsagainstracism.usa@gmail.com.