The power of social media, and in particular TikTok, has brought many people notoriety and infamy, depending on the video’s subject. For former Tri-State Defender reporter Dalisia Ballinger, a viral TikTok video in which she explained how comfortable she has become in her Memphis neighborhood ever since the United States National Guard set up shop in town last week.
During the video, which is titled, “I feel safe…thank you Trump”, Ballinger, whose TikTok account is under Deedee Manning, said, “Some of ya’ll might get mad at me, and at this point, I don’t give a damn. I will say thank you to Trump for bringing these National Guards and doing what they are doing in Memphis.”
During an interview on Wednesday afternoon, Ballinger, 38, told The Atlanta Voice that her life changed five days ago when that video hit social media. Earlier this week, she was fired from her job, which she began as a freelancer and later as a full-time reporter for the 74-year-old Black newspaper in 2017.
Ballinger was invited to go on Fox News to discuss her TikTok video. That invite, mixed with the viral video, just made things worse.
“I spoke with my editor, because of course, she found out about the video, and she gave me her opinion on why she didn’t feel that I should do any interviews, and if I do any interviews, I could no longer work for the Tri-State Defender,” Ballinger said.
That editor, Stephanie R. Jones, notified Ballinger the day after another TikTok post about the negative comments she had been receiving, that she no longer had to report to the assignments she had planned for this week. She was fired effective immediately.
To put the amount of reaction Ballinger’s original “thank you, Trump” video has received, numbers must be used. Nearly 80,000 likes, 5,500 comments, and more than 5,500 people saved the video.
Ballinger has been through rough times before, including being homeless, but the past 72 hours have been something she never imagined, Ballinger said.
“I’ve been for the people. I lived in these communities and I served these communities,” she said. “I have always been 100% for the people, and I know that I have an impactful voice.”
A mother of two, Ballinger continues to say the streets of Memphis are safer since the National Guard arrived, and she’s not backing down.
“I still feel good about it,” she said. “I’m able to hear the birds chirp.”
An education reporter, along with other beats, Ballinger found peace in the Black newspaper in town. She said she was proud to tell stories about her neighbors and friends.
“That beat means so much to me,” said Ballinger of her work within the city’s school system. “Just being with the kids, and being in the community.”
Living in the community she covered, Ballinger had a unique perspective as a homeowner, parent, and journalist. Now, she doesn’t have a job.
“My point of view is different, because I live in the community. It’s not a joke. In the community that I live in, every day there were gunshots,” Ballinger explained. It became normal for me.”
Weeks after late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel had his career put on hold for speaking his mind, Ballinger, on a much less popular but equally important scale, is going through a similar hardship.
“I believe what the problem was that I said, ‘Thanks Trump’,” she said. “I think people’s hate for Trump overshadowed the message.”
Ballinger said she is ready to get back to work, telling stories about her fellow Memphians for her fellow Memphians.
“This was off-duty, the Tri-State Defender wasn’t involved, but my eyes are open. I’m dropping more content , it’s taking off and people are hearing what I’m saying. I’m not a Republican or a democrat. I’m not a rightie or a leftie. I’m an American citizen and I see things for what they are.”
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