TBE Facebook Group

Black man using laptop
Photo by nappy

Our Facebook social group was the foundation of The Black Experience. Originating in Dec of 2016, the group has grown to over 9900 members who connect daily for news, entertainment, and friendship. The group currently features important debates, casual conversations, contests, games, birthday shout-outs, small business days, and more. We’ve linked face-to-face locally at meet-ups and have made close connections with those near and far. The group is managed by a tight-knit admod team that likes to ensure things run as smoothly as possible.

If you’re interested in joining The Black Experience, please put in your request! Be sure to answer ALL questions honestly for a fast track into the group. 

Basic Info

Created: December 27, 2016
Current Platform: Facebook group
Members as of April 2024: 13.3k

Rules | FAQs | Admin/Mods | Sub-Groups

Rules

These rules may be edited from time to time. We will put a notification in the group.

The group is very active, and we’ve implemented these rules to keep things running smoothly. If you have questions about any of these rules or your status in the group, please contact one of the admins there.

When requesting to join the group, please answer the entrance questions. Answering these questions completely will allow you to be approved faster.

Once you join the group, allow yourself a grace period of 14 days to look around and get a feel for the people and types of content we share. This will allow you to make sure the group is a good fit for you.

The Black Experience Header

1. Respect

Please treat everyone within the group with respect. Attack the issue, not the person. If you don’t agree with someone, agree to disagree and move on to something else.

Members may never dox another member and share “receipts” in the group. We want to keep all members as safe as possible. 

2. Privacy

The group is a closed group and will always be a closed group. That means that only members can read what is posted there. Don’t screenshot or share anything from the group.

If you want to share an image or link, please take that image or link directly and share it. If you don’t know how ask, and someone will help you.

3. Tone Police

Many conversations are about race relations and controversial topics. Be sure not to police another member’s tone. Just because you aren’t angry doesn’t mean they can’t be. Scroll past.

NO CAPING ALLOWED.

4. LGBTQ+

🏳️‍🌈 The group is supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. That means the slurs that usually fly in other places are not allowed. Watch your language. Homophobic/transphobic language is not tolerated and will get you muted or banned.

NO MISGENDERING!

Be respectful.

Read + Listen = Learn.

5. Advertising and Solicitation

Advertising and solicitation are not allowed in the group without prior permission. This includes advertising ANY business, service, product, blog, site, contest, event, FB page/group, social media accounts, etc.

If you want to share a post from your Facebook profile or page, copy the post’s content directly into the group.

We don’t allow solicitations for money, donations, votes, help with book content, school papers, etc.

Do not ask members to contact you privately for more information about “opportunities” related to your business or service.

We now have a pinned post that allows advertising of your business. 

6. Admin Removal or Decline of Post/Comment

Admin and mods will use discretion when removing a post or comment. When possible, the member may be notified of the removal of their content. If a post or comment is removed, don’t start a new post asking why or to continue the topic. Some reasons for a post or comment removal may include:

  1. Something that was already shared.
  2. Rule violation.
  3. Trolling attempt.

7. Trolling

Trolling can cause an immediate ban. (Trolling: make a deliberately offensive or provocative online post/comment to upset someone or elicit an angry response.)

❗️Trash takes and Trolls are met harshly in this group and will NOT be respected or tolerated.

8. Deleting Posts or Comment Threads (Dirty Deletes)

If you start a post that gets comments, please don’t delete it.
If you comment and that comment gets replies, please don’t delete it.

One thing we hate is contributing to a conversation and then finding out later that all of our well-thought-out ideas and the energy and time we invested in them have been deleted. Make edits, but removing them may get you blocked from the group.

If someone deletes a post or comment, feel free to send screenshots to the admin. DON’T start a new post or call out the member publicly. Our team will address it privately.

9. Blocking & Mutes

Blocking admins or moderators (admods) is not permitted. Make sure you’re familiar with the admod team. Blocking one of them will result in a warning or an immediate block from the group. If you have an issue with a moderator, please contact the group creator privately. If you have an issue with the group’s creator, please contact her privately or leave the group quietly.

Members may also be muted or blocked from the group for a rule violation or for arguing with staff about rules violations. Concerns about how the moderators handle issues should always be sent privately.

Members may also be removed immediately at the discretion of the admin team.

10. Misogynoir

We don’t allow misogynoir. Misogynoir is misogyny specifically directed towards Black women.

This includes condoning or excusing violence against or abuse of Black women, attacks on skin tone or hair texture/styles, perpetuating the idea that Black women can handle anything, calling them angry for speaking up/out, believing that Black women are inherently sexual, patronizing them while debating, etc. This is not a complete list of examples. 

11. Support for Abusers

We do not condone or support individuals known for perpetrating acts of abuse or violence, including but not limited to public figures such as Chris Brown, Bill Cosby, Russell Simmons, or R. Kelly. Expressing support, promoting their work, or minimizing their actions within the group is prohibited. Members violating this rule may receive a mute or ban from the group at the admin team’s discretion. We prioritize creating a safe and respectful space for all members, and supporting individuals who have caused harm goes against our community values.

12. Respectability Politics

Many people believe that if Black people would just “do right,” they would have less trouble in America. This is known as respectability politics. Becoming educated, dressing well, playing by rules, or living well does not relieve Black Americans of the issues they face. Shifting the blame to the oppressed group instead of pushing the group in power to make changes has no effect.

We don’t allow this in the group, and it may result in a warning or ban from the group.

13. Required Age

All members must be 21 or over.

14. Content

We are aiming to spark a conversation with each post. To keep the group from becoming littered with funny videos and pictures, caption this type of post in a way that will stimulate conversation.

Since we can’t monitor the content of a live video, we will not approve these types of posts. Video submissions will take longer to accept because we need to review them, and longer videos may never be approved.

No nudity or x-rated material. Facebook doesn’t allow this type of content, so neither do we.

Anything that violates Facebook’s community standards will not be approved or may be removed without warning.

15. Reverse Racism

There is no such thing as reverse racism. There are two types of racism: systemic and individual. Individual racism is when a privileged person discriminates against someone for their race. It takes power AND discrimination. Systemic racism is embedded in society as a regular practice. This can affect laws, housing, health care, education, employment, etc. Black people can be prejudiced and discriminate against white people but lack the power to oppress or be racist. Arguing about this will cause a group mute or ban.

16. Appropriation vs. Assimilation

Assimilation is not appropriation. Arguing about this will result in a group mute or ban.

17. Caping

We don’t allow caping for non-Black people. This is OUR group to vent in. Do not check our members.

18. New Profiles/Back-Up Profiles

If you create a new profile and want it added to the group, please inform an admin first. Duplicate accounts will not be approved unless we’re informed.

19. Contests

We often have contests and giveaways.

  • Expect to be disqualified if you’re only active for contests and not much else.
  • You cannot win more than one contest every 90 days OR back to back.
  • If our team has muted you within the last 90 days, you will not be eligible to play or win.
  • Individual contests may have their own rules.

20. Exchanges

We often have fun exchanges throughout the year (secret Santa, secret Valentine, etc). We try to implement these exchanges as safely as we can. Each exchange will have its own rules, but the rules below are universal:

  • If you have been muted in the last 90 days, you cannot join.
  • If you’ve ever signed up and not followed through, you can no longer participate in any exchange.

21. Meet & Greet

MAGs are social meet-ups for our group members. Group rules apply at all MAGs. Check the group for MAGs that may happen near you.

If you are planning a MAG, please be sure to share information with our admin team beforehand and afterward. Share pics using one of the tags below. (if you don’t see a tag for your location, contact admin).

#TBEMAG
#TBENYCFam
#TBEClevelandFam
#TBEDMVFam
#TBENJFam

22. Leaving the Group

If you find the group doesn’t fit your needs and you will be leaving, do so without creating a new post about it.

FAQs

Have a question?

When you request to join the group, we ask that you answer four questions. Answering those questions completely and honestly will allow us to approve your membership faster.

If you've answered all of the questions and your request has been sitting for more than a week, please reach out to an admin to find out what you need to do to do to finalize your membership.

Sub-Groups

Group of Friends
Photo Credit: Muyoka

Our main group has spawned smaller sub-groups with a tighter focus. Once you’ve joined the main group, you are free to request access to any of the sub-groups listed below.

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