Reclaiming racial authenticity through hashtags, tweets, and images

Authors

  • Michael R Williams University of Oklahoma

Keywords:

Digital Identity, Black Identity Development, Hashtag, Cool Pose

Abstract

In the modern digital age, Black men often navigate society with inconsistent control of their image and ideologies of masculinity. The underpinning of masculinity has established a rigid and violent caste that alienates marginalized gendered presentations within this exclusive club. Till now, with decades of advancements regarding the scope of technology and social media utilization, Black men regained control of their masculine imagery and identity by rewriting the narrative through hashtags, tweets, and images. This article examines how a small sample of five Black men utilized tweets to expand, challenge, redefine masculinity by establishing a sense of community. 

Author Biography

Michael R Williams, University of Oklahoma

Michael R. Williams, Ed.D., is with the Department of Human Relations at the University of Oklahoma. His scholarship focuses on Black masculine identity development, social media content, and social justice implementation methods. As a result of his scholarship, he has received several honors including the 2020 American Association of Blacks in Higher Education Dissertation Award (honorable mention); the 2019 Asa G Hilliard and Barbara Sizemore Fellowship on African American Education, two Academic Excellence Grants from Northeastern University, and Best Professional Development Award from Western Illinois University. Finally, as an instructor, he understands his position as a co-author in the learning process and not a position of authority. 

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Published

2021-12-31