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<p>The previous week of Empyre segues nicely into this weeks topic on Online representation. Although a broad topic, scholars have been engaged in meaningful work to privilege the marginalized within virtual communities. As Week 2s conversation revealed, although
there have been great strides within the field of gaming, we still have a ways to go to make digital spaces more equitable for all to actively participate.
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<p>This weeks topic focuses largely on online representation in general. As Anna Everetts work reveals, we must begin to employ an intersectional examination into the digital lives of online participants.
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<p>Stemming from my previous work that focused heavily on women and gamers of color in Xbox Live, my current work explores how marginalized users of virtual spaces resist and continue to actively participate in spaces relegated for the hegemonic elite. So
for instance, in a recent book chapter, I focus on how women in Xbox Live, while not welcome as full participants, create their own communities outside the boundaries of the gaming community. Using the lens of cultural production, many women identify safe
spaces in fan communities, feminist blogs, and others, and continue to contribute to gaming culture. <br>
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<p>While there are other examples, there is no way to truly theoretically conceptualize their experiences and responses which led me to the formation of a Black Cyberfeminist theoretical framework. Previous frameworks such as Cyberfeminism, technofeminism,
and others may address women within internet technologies, but they fail to capture the intersecting reality that many women and other marginalized users of digital technology may face. Black cyberfeminism, as an extension of virtual feminisms and Black
feminist thought, incorporates the tenets of interconnected identities, interconnected social forces, and distinct circumstances to better theorize women operating within internet technologies, and to capture the uniqueness of marginalized women. <br>
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<p>I think the work that Anna Everett is so important and timely. The current impact that the Black culture has had within film (Tyler Perry, Lee Daniels, etc), television (Scandal, Empire, How to Get Away with Murder), social media (Black Lives Matter, Black
Twitter, etc), and even music (J. Cole, Jay-Z, Beyonce) reveals not only the consumption power of the Black community but also their direct contributions to a culture that has long excluded their participation.
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<p>But the question we have to continue to ask ourselves: is this true inclusion or media's hand being forced to diversify? And even with continued diversification, we have to critically challenge the imagery being deployed. Is it stereotypical? Is it progressive?
Who's actually in control of the narratives? Etc. So there is cautious optimism and one that scholars like Drs Everett and Brock are currently engaged in. </p>
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<p>Kishonna ​<br>
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