The digitization of content and evolution of online information exchange has accelerated the co-option of Black creative genius. Confronting appropriation of Black art and scholarly labor must be at the core of any anti-racist politic. The praxis of indebted citation produces better form of relationality.

A disturbing trend that does not get enough attention is the continued practice of taking work, ideas, and creative genius from Black women without properly crediting or citing them as the source. This is not a new practice, but with the advent of the internet, these pernicious acts are even easier to spot. Any aspiring anti-racist must understand the insidious ways that this pattern is able to continue and recognize how to intervene when it does occur. This article will unpack the appropriation in more detail, highlight some lesser-known instances, examine more popular examples of this erasure, and explore what Black women can do to protect themselves.In the 19th and 20th century, Black women like , , and  played a  in the Women’s Suffrage Movement. Despite this fact, their contributions were largely ignored and overlooked, with Black women having to march separately from their white counterparts at suffrage parades. Black women have been behind some of the world’s most pivotal social justice movements (e.g. ), yet there is a  of leaving their contributions out. There are several examples that are important to note. Before Rosa Parks, 15-year-old Colvin refused to give up her bus seat. Although Colvin is now being  as “the first to really challenge the law,” her story is not often talked about or taught in history classes. In 1969, the Stonewall riots took place and sparked the LGBTQ liberation movement. At the helm of the riots was , a Black transgender activist who is credited for starting the Stonewall riots but it wasn’t until after Johnson’s passing that her story and contributions became more widely known. In 2017, actress  encouraged those who had experienced sexual abuse to write ‘me too’ on Twitter. Milano’s tweet caused an influx of stories from users about their experiences. Milano tweeted the #metoo hashtag without citing , the Black woman who created the Me Too campaign. On social media, many users felt that Burke was being erased from her own movement. Black women are no strangers to the co-opting of their creative genius. A few recent examples: In 2016, Melania Trump made  after many noticed eerie similarities between her speech and one given previously by former first lady Michelle Obama. Earlier this year, 60 Minutes ran a story about racial bias in facial recognition and  to include mentions of the three Black women, , , and , who spearheaded the most seminal research in the field. In July of 2021, the Confederate statue of Robert E. Lee was removed from Charlottesville, Virginia. 20-year-old student activist  started the petition that led to the  when she was just 15 years old. In an  written for Teen Vogue, Bryant shared, “I have read book after book and watched countless documentaries about the political implications of the fall of these monuments. Too many of them never mention the names of the Black women who were essential in making it all happen. It is morally bankrupt and intellectually dishonest to tell a story that leaves Black women like myself out of the narrative.” Bryant’s fears highlight a disturbing trend that has manifested in different ways. Social media is a newer arena where Black women are seeing their work and words appropriated. Critical race scholar Dr. Angel Jones recently  about this on her Instagram page. In an , Dr. Jones shared that an Instagram page had been reposting her work without properly crediting or tagging her as the source. Social media isn’t the only place where Black women are seeing  being passed off as someone else’s. In 2017, designers  and  accused Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner of  designs from their fashion lines. Images from both designers revealed close similarities between their designs and the designs from Kardashian and Jenner’s lines.With the insurmountable evidence revealing how Black women throughout history to present day are not properly credited, cited or referenced for the movements, ideas, creativity that they’ve birthed, it’s imperative to call this behavior out whenever it occurs. Whether it’s on social media or in real life, the first step is repairing the harm. You can start by acknowledging what you’ve done, regardless of whether it was intentional or not. It’s important to remember this  from illustrator Danielle Coke who referenced white folks who were stealing justice-related artwork from people of color: “you are reinforcing the same system that we are trying to dismantle. You are not amplifying us, you are centering yourself.” Artist  provides an excellent lesson for how to properly credit creators you are reposting on Instagram in an Instagram story that is now highlighted on  under ‘crediting.’ Dandy wrote that “ignorance does not absolve you from consequences,” and she is absolutely right. Those concerned about safeguarding their intellectual property can look into getting their work copyrighted or trademarked. Contrary to popular belief, imitation is not flattery at all. Those who have engaged in misappropriation must ask themselves this: how does the Black woman I have stolen from want this harm to be repaired?