In the age of social media prowess, not only does everyone have an opinion, they have thousands and they have no hesitation when it comes to sharing every single one of them. While free speech and open dialogue is wonderful, a clear drawback to social media culture is an overabundance of thought. But these people are changing that.

We pulled together a list of our favorite Twitter accounts to follow. They come from multiple arenas of thought, whether it be social activism, entertainment, self-love, comedy or somewhere in-between. While this list could’ve easily been 50 entries long, we don’t really have the time for that and had to make a lot of hard decisions to trim it to just 15. Take a look at our list below (in no particular order):

Darnell Moore

Darnell Moore may look familiar to you as a result of his work as Mic‘s senior editor/correspondent. For a lot of their work concerning social justice and activism, he’s been the one to put his feet to the ground and tell us stories that aren’t being told enough. He’s also willing to put us on game about what it means to be an activist in contemporary America whenever we need a reminder.

Brittney Cooper

It’s always interesting to see writers and scholars be active Twitter users. While many elect to take the easy way out and only interact via social media when it’s absolutely necessary, people like Britney Cooper don’t reserve their opinions for 500+ word editorials. Sometimes you can convey an entire thought in just two words, like the tweet above.

Feminista Jones

If all of Black Twitter is talking about something, Feminista Jones can either keep it cool and comical and join in on the fun with the rest of us or throw in some much appreciated context to make sure that we’re looking past the humor to understand the real issues at hand.

Eve Ewing

 

https://twitter.com/eveewing/status/739103153006612480

Academia is an underestimated part of social activism. While it’s definitely important to have people out hitting the pavement and making their voices heard, it’s also important to have people that can reach those that aren’t as receptive to in-person interactions. (Of course, no one is restricted to choosing only one method.)  Eve Ewing, a recent doctoral graduate at Harvard University, and her Twitter account are full of gems about injustice of all forms.

Jamil Smith

Let’s take a moment for some honesty, here. Sometimes there’s so much happening in politics that it becomes overwhelming. The best thing to do then is look for a helping hand to guide you through until you’ve learned enough to navigate on your own. Jamil Smith can often be seen as just that, with regular columns on identity and social commentary on black politics. Right now, he’s also doing a really good job putting every questionable move by Donald Trump into one convenient place.

Bomani Jones

Bomani Jones may be one of the smartest people ESPN has on staff. Which some people don’t necessarily like. As a result, half of his Twitter timeline is him clapping back at people in such a way that they don’t even know what happened. The other half is compiled of sports commentary with some interesting opinions on news headlines, music and just good jokes.

Tracy Clayton

As a staff writer for Buzzfeed, Tracy Clayton has grown into an important voice on black and feminist ideologies. Plus she has a pretty great podcast called Another Round where she, her co-host and guests get buzzed and talk about whatever. Leave a comment if you vote that she should run all of Buzzfeed one day.

Combat Jack

For the hip-hop heads out there, Combat Jack has been a part of the industry for years, first as an attorney for some the genre’s biggest acts and now as the host of one of the strongest podcasts on the Internets. He also runs the Loud Speakers Network, which is home to many of our favorite podcasts. Feel free to hear about members of the music industry, both from the past and present, after you give him a follow.

Jamilah Lemieux

The Senior Editor for Ebony, Jamilah Lemieux’s Twitter account is a great place to soak in all of the black lifestyle content you could ever want. The thread of her favorite moments with her daughter is absolutely heart-warming and you’re sure to get a few laughs from her in-the-moment comments. Her sass is pretty much unmatched in these streets.

Black Girl Nerds

We recently did an interview with the founder of Black Girl Nerds, Jamie Broadnax. In it, she discusses what it means to be a millennial who is also Black and a woman. This Twitter account is a summary of that life and engages their followers on a host of issues around Black geeky life. This isn’t a profile for Black girl nerds. It is a profile for people seeking community and authenticity in spite of a world which seeks to limit them.

Questlove

To be fair, following everything that Questlove has to say will take an extra step or two, but it’s well worth it. 140 characters clearly aren’y enough for the Roots drummer, because he often elects to just write mini-essays on Instagram and connect them to his Twitter account. But those blurbs are often full of gems about his extensive experience in the music industry, pointing out how ridiculous people often are or just some general knowledge you didn’t have before.

Johnetta Elzie

Johnetta Elzie, commonly referred to as Netta, is a very important face in the Black Lives Matter movement. A native to St. Louis, Netta’s coverage of the events in Ferguson, MO following the death of Mike Brown and acquittal of Darren Wilson was vital. But she’s kept on moving forward with her activism and is still an important source of information.

Big Ghost

Following Big Ghost is just a good way to make sure you get at least five good laughs in a day. The social commentary connoisseur has been a part of the Internet culture for years now, but I’m still convinced only a select few know what he looks like or who he even is. His comments on hip-hop and annual list of the softest rappers in the game are just a notch below iconic – that’s reserved solely for Prince.

April Reign

Go on and head to April Reign’s Twitter account now and just say “Thank you.” Don’t even bother saying why. April’s been putting a mark on public consciousness for a while through her writing. But then she created #OscarsSoWhite and her influence reached a new height. Giving her a follow could be the difference between going “Wait… the Oscars are so white, aren’t they?!?!” and “Why’s everybody calling some guy named Oscar white all of a sudden?”

Trudy 

Following Trudy on social media is a surefire way to have a part-time life coach in your purse or pocket. The self-titled “creator, curator, writer and social critic” often tweets out just what people need to hear, whether it be about treating themselves better or treating others better.

Photo Credit: Twitter