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Digital racial organizing: Student development of racial and activist identities in online spaces

Mon, August 12, 8:30 to 10:10am, Sheraton New York, Floor: Third Floor, Liberty 4

Abstract

Over the past decade we have witnessed an explosion of Internet-based activism, from #BlackLivesMatter to resistance surrounding the Dakota pipeline. The preponderance of Internet-based activism and political activity has faced much criticism, as detractors suggest they can represent a particularly weak form of civic engagement with less potential for real world change. A growing body of work tells a different story, however, and explores the ways young people engage in online political activities, and their impacts. In this paper I draw on in-depth interviews with 38 undergraduate students of color to examine activist and racial identity development. How do students of color become engaged in critical thinking about race and racial injustices, and how is this process facilitated by online tools and social spaces? I find that some students engage in online behaviors that are intended to stimulate growth in racial consciousness and the ability to recognize and critique racist structures, attitudes, and behaviors, and discuss the ways in which this style of activism both reflects and diverges from existing models of activism and organizing.

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