COMM 489A Black Discourse and Digital Media

In this course, we will explore the history of black discourse and orality and how the unique communicative traditions of African diasporic people in the U.S., were formed in relation to technological skill. In this process, we will discuss how the parallel development of racism and black cultural traditions have equipped black users to wield digital technology skills in ways that often outpace and differ from the dominant group. We will then interrogate manifestations of this use by reading/exploring digital technologies and academic writings about them. Students will investigate the different mechanisms by which communication researchers can study black users and discourse (social scientific, interpretive and critical methods) with a specific emphasis on critical cultural studies methods and digital humanities tools. Finally, we will together design a digital artifact that demonstrates our increased knowledge on the subject and makes this knowledge accessible to a public of our choosing. This course will ask many of us to think about communication and culture in ways that are different than we may previously have approached either of these topics. We will be focused on the communicative practices and technology use of the Black community in the U.S.. By necessity, we will explore concepts like race, gender, power, and class. We will also engage deeply with black cultural expression making sure that earnest academic inquiry guides our discussion.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/191444/1/Knight Steele, COMM 489A Syllabus, 2020-23.pdfDescription of Knight Steele, COMM 489A Syllabus, 2020-23.pdf : Course SyllabusSEL