Virtual Spaces and How to Embrace #Blackgirlmagic in the Classroom

Type of Presentation

Panel submission

Brief Description of Presentation

#Blackgirlmagic draws upon the need to explain the ways in which black excellence intersects with social justice. The virtual space of #blackgirlmagic provides a space where black girls and women can be recognized positively on the global stage of various social media platforms. Educators can bring these critical conversation into the classroom, not only to expose students to the counter-narrative of black girls and women, but also to critique the overarching institutions that make movements such as these a necessity in today’s society.

Abstract of Proposal

Dominant narratives of black girls and woman as they are presented in media often construct less than desirable images of what it means to be both black and female in today’s society. #Blackgirlmagic draws upon the need to explain the ways in which black excellence intersects with social justice. The virtual space of #blackgirlmagic provides a space where black girls and women can be recognized positively on the global stage of various social media platforms. By acknowledging critical media literary (CML) as a useful tool to examine the complex lives of black girls and women, careful attention can be drawn to the absence of positive portrayals in media. We will use CML as a framework to look in-depth at social media movements aiming to dismantle projections of black girls and women as less than admirable. The cultural, economic, political, and social presumptions of #blackgirlmagic inform other social media campaigns (i.e. #Blacklivesmatter, #Sayhername, etc.) ring true to the necessity to project positive images of black girls and women in a global society that would otherwise objectify and invisiblize the black and brown female body, mind, and spirit. The dynamic nature of the intersection of gender and race through the power of social media— which possesses the unique ability to self-regulate— calls for communities with implicit and/or immediate needs to collaborate and effectively resolve the fragmentation that occurs between realities and misrepresentations of black women through popularized media sources. Educators can bring these critical conversation into the classroom, not only to expose students to the counter-narrative of black girls and women, but also to critique the overarching institutions that make movements such as these a necessity in today’s society. Cultivating meaningful conversations about the use of virtual spaces to empower marginalized groups while simultaneously acknowledging the need to support the endeavors of all young people creates a learning community aimed to define “difference” and celebrate everyone. #Blackgirlmagic reclaims attention to pressing issues and deserving causes; thus, it serves as a solution begin to correct the flawed dominant narrative.

Location

Coastal Georgia Center

Start Date

3-26-2016 9:50 AM

End Date

3-26-2016 11:20 AM

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Mar 26th, 9:50 AM Mar 26th, 11:20 AM

Virtual Spaces and How to Embrace #Blackgirlmagic in the Classroom

Coastal Georgia Center

Dominant narratives of black girls and woman as they are presented in media often construct less than desirable images of what it means to be both black and female in today’s society. #Blackgirlmagic draws upon the need to explain the ways in which black excellence intersects with social justice. The virtual space of #blackgirlmagic provides a space where black girls and women can be recognized positively on the global stage of various social media platforms. By acknowledging critical media literary (CML) as a useful tool to examine the complex lives of black girls and women, careful attention can be drawn to the absence of positive portrayals in media. We will use CML as a framework to look in-depth at social media movements aiming to dismantle projections of black girls and women as less than admirable. The cultural, economic, political, and social presumptions of #blackgirlmagic inform other social media campaigns (i.e. #Blacklivesmatter, #Sayhername, etc.) ring true to the necessity to project positive images of black girls and women in a global society that would otherwise objectify and invisiblize the black and brown female body, mind, and spirit. The dynamic nature of the intersection of gender and race through the power of social media— which possesses the unique ability to self-regulate— calls for communities with implicit and/or immediate needs to collaborate and effectively resolve the fragmentation that occurs between realities and misrepresentations of black women through popularized media sources. Educators can bring these critical conversation into the classroom, not only to expose students to the counter-narrative of black girls and women, but also to critique the overarching institutions that make movements such as these a necessity in today’s society. Cultivating meaningful conversations about the use of virtual spaces to empower marginalized groups while simultaneously acknowledging the need to support the endeavors of all young people creates a learning community aimed to define “difference” and celebrate everyone. #Blackgirlmagic reclaims attention to pressing issues and deserving causes; thus, it serves as a solution begin to correct the flawed dominant narrative.