Challenging and (Re)Positioning African Identity Narratives via Digital Literacies

• In Event: Reimagining Youth Learning and New Spaces for Digital Action

Abstract

Dominant anti-African discourses have proliferated since colonial times to position Africa and the peoples of Africa in stereotypical tropes of primitivity and lack. The advancement of technology and the rise of digital platforms provide an opportunity for activists to challenge and (re)position these discourses on a global scale. This study examines how one Nigerian content creator utilizes Tik-Tok as a digital platform to interrogate, dismantle, and reconstruct discourses about Africa and African identity. The findings bear significance for educators and education researchers who can use Ekezie’s work as a blueprint to guide their digital work with minoritized youth.

Authors

• Neisha Terry Young, Stony Brook University - SUNY

• Angela Ochoa, Stony Brook University - SUNY

• Tunazinna Rosa, Stony Brook University - SUNY

• Mehwish Hasan, Stony Brook University - SUNY

• Christopher Montalbano, Stony Brook University - SUNY