Blogging While Black, British & Female: A Critical Study On Discursive Activism.

Abstract

This study explores Black British women’s motivations for divulging racial and ethnic identity in the blogosphere (sometimes referred to as ‘blogging while Black’) and their use of blogs for discursive activism. Previous research on Black women in the blogosphere examines how Black women appropriate blogs as a medium for empowerment (Somolu, 2007), as a platform for feminist resistance to raced and gendered discrimination (Steele, 2012) and as a medium for feminist resistance rooted in the experiences and perspectives of the hip hop generation (Boylorn, 2013). The blogosphere is often perceived as a racially neutral space where shared interests across geographical and temporal boundaries limit the significance of racial and ethnic identity. However, the constructed narratives of Black British women in this study highlight their experiences of subtle forms of prejudice and discrimination perpetuated through dominant discourses in the mainstream media. The findings demonstrate how they use blogs as a medium for discursive activism to challenge stereotypical raced and gendered representation in the mainstream media. Much of the research on the blogosphere in Britain reflects its use by the White majority population. This study therefore extends understanding of the blogosphere through the counter narratives of Black British women while highlighting alternative modes of political communication.