1/31/2018 Update:

Despite claiming that “we review reports carefully to make sure we take the correct action” and “please note that we can’t retract reports once we’ve taken action,” Facebook has reversed their ban and has our video back online.

They did not respond to any of our communications at all except for the form letters on this page, but members of the media were able to get responses about the video having been taken down “in error.”

Right.

Hey Facebook, how does one go about reversing a censorship decision if they don’t have our social capital and media resources?

We have no idea how this happened and can only assume it was the media attention.

Its shitty that Facebook will talk about this with the media but not with us.

What happened?

Original article from Jan 29th, 2018:

One of these is not like the other:

  • “Beneath its sardonic tone lies a truth that is urgent, sincere and deeply affecting.” – NPR
  • “Required reading for white people, especially if we hope to be useful allies and decent friends.” – Women Write About Comics
  • “It looks like something you posted doesn’t follow our Community Standards.” – Facebook

Last Monday we posted to Facebook an animated short film about anti-black racism made by a black artist.

The video was very well received, viewed over 149,000 times on Facebook alone, and shared by thousands including our local PBS affiliate.

Then on Friday, we were shocked to find that Facebook had deemed the film offensive and in violation of community guidelines.

Your Black Friend received positive  attention from Gizmodo’s i09, Comics Beat, and Bleeding Cool.

This comes as no surprise.

The comic book that the film is based on was in 2017 was nominated for an Eisner, and won the Ignatz, Dinky, and Broken Frontier awards, and a coveted spot on NPR’s 100 Favorite Graphic Novels list.

When we contacted Facebook this weekend about this absurd censorship, they doubled down on the side of racism with the following non-response suggesting that whatever they did was on purpose:

We produced the “Your Black Friend” short film with friends at Doggo Studios to promote Passmore’s upcoming hardcover collection, Your Black Friend and Other Strangers, collecting 120 pages of comics from VICE, The Nib, and various independent publications, to be released in March of 2018 and available now for pre-order from our online store.

Though unavailable on Facebook, the video remains on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iHvxXImnWKw

 

In Your Black Friend and Other Strangers, Ben Passmore masterfully tackles comics about race, gentrification, the prison system, online dating, gross punks, bad street art, kung fu movie references, beating up God, and lots of other grown-up stuff with refreshing doses of humor and lived relatability. The title comic earned Passmore a much deserved Eisner nomination, Ignatz Award for “Outstanding Comic”, and a coveted spot on NPR’s 100 Favorite Graphic Novels list.

The comics in this 120-page collection include works previously published by The Nib, VICE, and the As You Were anthology, along with brand new and unreleased material.

These comics are essential, humorous, and accessible, told through Passmore’s surreal lens in the vibrant full-color hues of New Orleans.

ISBN: 978-1-945509-20-9 | Diamond: STL070802 | Direct: Silver Sprocket

More from Ben Passmore:

http://benpassmoreart.com
https://twitter.com/daygloayhole
https://www.instagram.com/daygloayhole/