Visual-Multimodal Artifacts and Africancentric Autoethnography

• In Event: Critical Visual + Multimodal Research for Racial Justice

Abstract

In this chapter, I illustrate how visual and multimodal artifacts can be used as a step for doing and writing a critical autoethnography. I highlight two exceptional critical incidents that I experienced as a former Ghanaian/African student-athlete in the U.S. and the ways they inform my interpersonal and intercultural experiences of race, ethnicity, ability, and citizenship at a NCAA Division-I and R-1 institution. Specifically, I braid an African diasporic autoethnography and visual/multimodal methodologies to interrogate what I believe are social and global injustices towards African student-athletes (ASA) and sickle cell trait athletes (SCTA) in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and United States (U.S.).

I begin with a sketch and personal vignette, present my definition of critical autoethnography, introduce my theoretical framework, reveal my experiences with two fitness tests and two nonrenewal athletic scholarship appeals. I employ critical autoethnography including visual and multimodal artifacts to represent, give voice, and closely examine, and disseminate the inner worlds of African student-athletes. I detail my steps in analyzing a visual artifact, and offer my conclusions on how visual artifacts enhance autoethnography. In Ghanaian culture, Adinkra symbols are visual metaphors of traditional wisdom, philosophical ideas, and moral values. So, as a Ghanaian scholar, I will use this autoethnographic piece to promote African ways of knowing by introducing each section with an Adinkra symbol. Further, I draw upon an interepistemic synergy approach by engaging Africancentric methodologies as Indigenous knowledge and analytic tools to highlight my intersectional experiences of marginalization and interrogate social injustices towards African student-athletes. Despite an institution's efforts to erase, deny, devalue, forget, steal, and distort my collective identities and purpose, I maintained my values, meaning systems, knowledge, and histories. Incorporating Africancentric methodologies allows me to interpret my experiences according to my worldviews and understandings.

Author

• Emmanuel Akogyeram, North Carolina State University