Module 5: Designing for Justice

 Introduction

The article that I have chosen to analyze is Spectacularized and Branded Digital (Re)presentations of Black People and Blackness (Sobande, 2021). This article, in particular, interests me because I find branded digital racism to be a significant issue. I am very stimulated by all things that have to do with marketing and the various representations that are portrayed through digital media. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has become increasingly important over the past couple of years, which is a step in the right direction. Nonetheless, there is still clearly a lot that needs to be done to address the issue of digital racism related to online representations of people of colour. Racism in the online marketplace is prevalent and the authors of this article do a terrific job of reflecting on the connection between digital racism and historical systematic racism and racial capitalism.

Critical Analysis

This article offers a great amount of influence in the fight against anti-Black digital racism in the field of marketing, since it emphasizes marketplace dynamics. As social media use continues to increase worldwide, the racism that has been historically offline is now appearing more and more online. In other words, systematic racism has always been part of society; racism towards Black people is now just as - if not more - prevalent in social media and the marketplace. 

Sobande does an excellent job of addressing the issue of digital racism in social media and the online marketplace. In this article, the online experiences of Black people are documented, as Sobande attempts to redress these negative experiences. There are several social, political, and racial capitalist implications of digital content that is created and shared online by individuals, groups, and companies who are not Black. The (mis)use of images of Black people and other connotations that (mis)portray the Black identity. The racism that is continuing to occur through digital platforms seems to facilitate commercial logics related to the representations of Black people in the media and in marketing. Sobante argues that the increasing development of different social media platforms and the popularity of “digital remix culture” is resulting in more cases of anti-Black racism (Sobante, 2021), and I cannot agree more. Although these accounts of racism are occurring increasingly more online, Sobante is not naive and acknowledges the fact that anti-Black racism has been a significant issue in society since humans have been on Earth. People who try to recreate the Black identity and Blackness online often do so in careless ways (Sobante, 2021). Thus, it is necessary that the lived experiences of Black individuals are explained by the individuals themselves, rather than non-Black people who are speculating or assuming. These false accounts are what leads to the spread of misinformation, which perpetuates many biases that exist in society today. This also creates anxiety in Black members of the digital marketing field. The CEO of a Philadelphia-based digital marketing agency, called Seer Interactive, says “If I am one of the first Black people to get my foot in the door of a company, and I don’t crush it, I am giving them ammo to not hire Black people again.” (Adobe Communications Team, 2021).

The paper under review provides approaches to combating these problems by providing Black people with more voice and gaining a sense of their perspectives and experiences, as accounted by them. This paper also acknowledges and attempts to rectify the “under-examined role of racial capitalism”, which Sobande (2021) explains is a driving force of many cultural strategies that brands and consumers use that are associated with Blackness.

As mentioned, anti-Black racism is not in the slightest bit a novel issue. Black people have been bothered, harassed, ignored, under-appreciated, and worse, since the beginning of time. The fact that technology plays a large role in the misrepresentation of Blackness in the media and marketing does not mean that this issue is entirely a result of technology. If positive change is going to occur, individuals and companies must take accountability for our mistakes, both past and present. We must learn from these mistakes and develop more appropriate practice in digital marketing. Companies need to go out and find Black talent. They must adjust the way they naturally recruit and intentionally invest in Black people and people of color (Adobe Communications Team, 2021).

Conclusion

As an individual who strongly believes in, and advocates for, a diverse and inclusive world for all individuals, this article resonates deeply with me. As more CGI racialized influencers become noticed, so do their movements into mainstream consumer culture. Subsequently, much more still needs to be done to illustrate the various instances of stereotypical and oppressive digital activity. Furthermore, it is crucial that consumers and citizens are sensitive to the different forms of racism that occur online, as we strive for a more respectful and inclusive world, where the experiences of Black people (both online and offline) are enhanced.

For more information on the topic, please see PushBlack's video below:

References

PushBlack (2022, May 23). Digital Blackface and Spectacularizing Blackness with Dr. Francesca Sobande [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-78V1avtjrw

Sobande, F. (2021). Spectacularized and Branded Digital (Re)presentations of Black People and Blackness. Television & New Media, 22(2), 131-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476420983745

Unknown (2021, February). Being a black digital marketer in 2021. Adobe Communications Team. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2021/02/19/being-a-black-digital-marketer-in-2021