Extraordinary Literacies in Digital Spaces-Opportunities to (Re)Imagine Black Girl Magic

• In Event: Extraordinary Pedagogies: An Endarkened Feminist Approach to Revolutionizing Teacher Consciousness

Abstract

The systemic effects of white supremacist patriarchal ideologies on the identities and lived experiences of marginalized people, as they take shape in schools and society, are pervasive (Jacoby-Senghor 2016; Civil Rights Data Collection 2016; Staples-Dixon, 2011, 2012a, 2012b, 2015). Neoliberal structures of charter schools (Costas Batlle, 2019) are limited in how underserved Black girls can be extraordinary. Discourses that exist during and after school spaces include placing a high value on test-taking and fast-paced curricula (Hoxby, C. M., & Rockoff, J. E., 2004). By empowering Black girls and women to reclaim their emotional narratives and challenge systemic oppressions, digital literacies (Gee 2012, Baldwin) alongside extraordinary literacies (Staples-Dixon, 2024) contribute to a broader movement towards justice and equity. Staples-Dixon (2023, 2024) defines extraordinary literacies as the social, cultural, spiritual, soulful, and somatic practices that conduit deep excavation and decolonization of interior life, which invariably influence and shape exterior life through evolved beliefs and observable behaviors. This practice not only supports personal healing but also encourages community solidarity and activism by equipping individuals with tools to address and overcome racial and gender-based trauma. The purpose of this paper centers on one case study on a Black fifth-grader named Shayla, and how she re-imagined her existence in a digital space. We analyze Shayla’s lived experiences through the Extraordinary Literacies lens (Staples-Dixon, 2024). Through this third wave of new literacies, we are able to [re]imagine new possibilities for Black girls and women in digital spaces.

Authors

• Nakisha D. Whittington, Stanford University

• Azaria I. Cunningham, Boston University