Intersectional activism on social media: Anti-racist and feminist strategies in the digital space

ABSTRACT

In the last decade, digital platforms have assumed an increasingly central role in social movement strategies and in political engagement, both as media of communication and information and as tools for establishing global connections. In Italy, social media are increasingly used by Black Italian women writers, activists, and artivists to draw attention to issues traditionally under-represented in mainstream communication, such as racism, citizenship, sexism, and intersectional discrimination. Digital narratives and debate initiatives on social media allow for the creation of transnational solidarity networks and strengthen the forms of offline anti-racist and feminist activism. Analyzing the digital content produced by Espérance Hakuzwimana Ripanti, Djarah Kan, and Oiza Queens Day Obasuyi – such as the Facebook Live format “Non me nero accorta”, and Facebook and Instagram posts – this article examines how social media are reconfiguring social and cultural activism by creating a space where intersectional and decolonial epistemologies are produced.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media
• activism
• intersectionality
• Black Italia
• anti-racism
• postcolonialism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1. This and all subsequent translations from Italian are mine, unless otherwise stated.

2. This rule does not apply to undocumented migrants in the United States, who struggle with border enforcement and with the federal immigration laws that regulate the acquisition of US citizenship.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Giulia Fabbri

Giulia Fabbri has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in gender studies at Sapienza University of Rome, where in 2020 she obtained a PhD in gender studies. She is the author of Sguardi (post)coloniali. Razza, genere e politiche della visualità ([Post]colonial gazes. Race, gender, and the politics of visuality) (ombre corte 2021) and her research interests include gender and racial representations in visual culture, social media activism, and the cultural production of Italian women of African descent.