Why are all the Black kids tweeting together? : exploring the impact of Black social media spaces on Black college students at historically White institutions.

Why are all the Black Kids Tweeting Together? is a mixed methods study that applies critical race theory (CRT) and the campus racial climate framework to explore the role same-race peer groups created on social media platforms play in the experiences of Black students at Historically White Institutions (HWIs). Building on the research that examines how peer groups influence student experiences, this study gauges why Black students choose to create and participate in Black social media spaces and the influence of the campus climate on their decisions to do so. Using data collected from virtual focus group interview sessions, photo-elicitation, and a survey, this study seeks to uplift the voices of Black college students and encourage them to use their voice to share their stories individually and collectively. Evidence from this study suggests that Black social media spaces operate as a source of joy, self-preservation, and resistance to assimilation. Study findings also indicate that Black students at HWIs use Black social media spaces to expand their sense of community, thrive in spite of being minoritized, and engage in spaces that support racial identity expression and affirmation. As colleges and universities continue to search for and develop ways to support students from underrepresented groups, they must acknowledge how these groups use agency to develop their own strategies to be successful as valid and sources of knowledge that can inform the decisions of campus administrators. This study offers up a new lens through which the experiences of Black students at HWIs can be understood, with a specific focus on how same-race peer groups on social media provide supportive, safe, and affirming spaces that aid in their persistence and success in environments that can be racially challenging