#DigitalFaith: Exploring the Interactions of Race, Faith, and Community Among African American College Students

• In Event: Learning and Development Through Racialized Contexts

Abstract

Limited budgets and reduced funding for student affair services, has encouraged educators to consider the potential of online spaces for supporting students’ religious and spiritual development. This study explores how creative digital online platforms and social media spaces can provide needed insight into religious, secular, and spiritual (RSS) identity development in the 21st century information age as well as the possibilities of leveraging current #DigitalFaith spaces and technologies to better support Black students’ engagement. Drawing on data from two case studies on a Black Christian Fraternity and Black atheist college students’ co-construct and benefit from community as well as perform ritual across diverse online platforms, respectively.

Authors

• Keon M. McGuire, Arizona State University - Tempe

• Jeremy T. Snipes, Interfaith Youth Core

• Sable Manson, University of Southern California