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avatar for Letisha Brown

Letisha Brown

UniversityofCincinnati
AssistantProfessor
Our paper examines the perceptions of Black womyn athletes and their bodies through the lens social media. We use an innovative analysis technique, social media data analysis to analyze hashtags via Instagram and Twitter to further discuss and disrupt how Black womyn’s bodies have been racialized, sexualized, and gendered through these contemporary media platforms. Specifically, we consider the ways in which Athletic Apparel campaigns have either helped or hindered this conversation with respect to Black womyn athletes. To begin we offer an intersectional overview of Black womyn in sports and the isms (racism, sexism, colorism, etc.) that challenge who they are as Black womyn athletes. In particular, we draw attention to three athletes, Caster Semenya, Serena Williams and Gabby Douglas, to illustrate the ways in which their bodies of work are ignored and/or shamed; and how social media as a platform has either embraced or bullied them through the use of critical case studies. This paper relies on two critical theories, black feminist thought (Collins 2000) and intersectionality (Crenshaw 1991), as theoretical frameworks to frame and analyze the discourse pertaining to Black womyn athletes and their portrayal on social media as well as in the media as a whole.

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