SPRING INTO ACTION FOR BLACK WOMEN: EXAMINING THE BLACK LIVES MATTER ORGANIZATION’S TWITTER COVERAGE OF STATE-SANCTIONED VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK WOMEN
The thesis charts and contextualizes the Twitter rhetoric produced by the Black Lives Matter organization to understand how they discuss and engage state-sanctioned violence against cisgender and transgender black women. Relying upon intersectional theory and virtual public sphere theory for theoretical framing, a textual analysis of 825 tweets from @BlkLivesMatter, the organization’s official Twitter account was conducted during May 1st – August 31st, 2015. This period is referred to by movement leaders as the “Black Spring.” The results suggest that Black Lives Matter is balanced in their coverage of state-sanctioned violence against black women and men during this period. Further, the organization embraces people from across the sexual and gender identity spectrum as demonstrated in their online advocacy and offline social action. Considering these findings, a broadened understanding of how black women and girls and other identities are included in the narrative of state-sanctioned violence enhances our knowledge of the systemic realities and hardships impacting the black community.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations