Critical Hits and Misses: Exploring Race, Gender, and Joy Among Black Geeks

• In Event: 30851 - The Racial Politics of Joy

Abstract

Hobby board gaming and other geek leisure activities are predominantly white and male spaces, both demographically and ideologically. Despite this, Black geeks actively participate in these spaces, challenging dominant narratives surrounding geek and Black identities. This study examines how Black geeks navigate racialized and gendered barriers in geek spaces while cultivating joy and community. What insights can the presence and experiences of Black men and women in geek leisure activities reveal about race, gender, geek culture, and Black joy? How does Black joy manifest in predominantly White and Black geek spaces? In what ways can the experiences and strategies of Black geeks enhance understanding of communities belonging to socially paradoxical groups?

To answer these questions, I will conduct at least sixty semi-structured interviews with Black geeks via Zoom and ten focus groups at Gen Con, a convention mainly organized by White geeks, and two conventions organized by Black geeks: Dream Con and Blerd Con. Black geeks, especially those into hobby board gaming, will be recruited from the Blerd Discord, r/blerd, Gen Con forums, and the Boardgame Geek Facebook page.

Current scholarship on race stratification primarily focuses on themes of marginalization and oppression, often overlooking how Black individuals derive joy and significance from their communities despite these obstacles. This study seeks to contribute to the growing body of literature emphasizing Black joy by examining how Black men and women geeks foster networks of belonging and redefine geek culture. Through Black geeks, we can also expand the discourse surrounding the racialization and gendering of identity and leisure activities, demonstrating how Black joy serves as a vital mechanism for challenging white and male-coded identities and spaces.

Author

• Andrea Char'Lee Smith, University of Iowa