Comments, Conflict, and Celebration: Examining Social Media Responses to HBCU Pride Month Posts on Facebook

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Reimagining HBCU Pedagogies and Policies for Black Futures

Abstract

This study examines social media users’ responses to Pride Month posts shared by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on Facebook. As higher education increasingly uses social media to express support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), such posts often provoke both affirmation and resistance. Using Queer of Color Critique and Public Pedagogy as theoretical frameworks, this netnographic study analyzes Facebook comments to uncover how Black queer visibility is negotiated in digital public discourse. Findings highlight both institutional pride and cultural or religious resistance, reflecting broader ideological tensions within HBCU communities.

Authors

• Dalvin Trevon Dunn, Texas A&M University

• Darius Adams, Michigan State University

• Lamont Davis, University of Texas at Austin

• Jarrel T. Johnson, University of Utah