Crowdfunding Platforms Exposed For Allowing People To Profit Off Hate

A Black woman is demanding accountability from crowdfunding platforms that are allowing people to profit off hate.

Atlanta-based entrepreneur and activist Kiandria Demone said she was called to action after a white woman, identified as Shiloh Hendrix, was able to raise over $600,000 in donations on GiveSendGo after she allegedly called a Black child the n-word.

“Not only did you call the baby the N-word, you proceeded to monetize that,” Demone told ESSENCE. “That was the moment when I was like, alright, enough is enough.”

Demone, who has a background in web development, investigated the fundraiser and found payment processors, including Stripe and Block (the parent company of Square, Cash App, and Afterpay), were connected to the donations. Demone called out the financial platforms for allowing people like Hendrix to profit from hate speech. She is also urged her followers to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to suspend the funds over anti-discrimination laws.

“A payment processor or a bank, a financial institution, period, has laws that they have to abide by,” Demone said. “If they choose not to freeze her funds, the next step would be for them to face civil action."

Demone called out the bigger issue of social media and fundraising platforms amplifying hate while silencing the voices of marginalized communities.

"I do see how platforms allow so much space for hate,” she said. “And I’ll even go so far as to say these algorithms pick and choose which voices they want to give a platform to.”

The Atlanta activist is encouraging her followers to join her efforts in calling out financial institutions that are rewarding hate.

“I want people to understand, not to just sit back and put all of this stock in me as a hero because I’m not Batman,” Demone said. “It will take a collective effort if we want to get things done.”

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