Welcome to AFRPRL 290:31 Social Media in Black and Latino Communties Hunter CUNY Course

Follow our hashtag for the course Social Media in Black and Latino Communties Hunter CUNY Course.

Follow our hashtag for the course Social Media in Black and Latino Communties Hunter CUNY Course.

Congratulations for making history with me. This is the first course of its kind to be created and I will be facilitating it with brilliant scholars from Hunter College, CUNY. This course is through the Africana and Puerto Rican and Latino Department at Hunter. My name is Kaia Niambi Shivers, and I am a media studies, Africana and Women’s & Gender scholar who is currently finishing her doctoral work at Rutgers University.

Social media in black and Latino Communities course examines black and Latino social media usage in a multi-layered, multimedia angle. These populations are heavy social media users, but are still under-studied. This course delves into various topics of social media from politics to artists to advocacy and relationships in order to understand the complexities and nuances of media usage.

21 thoughts on “Welcome to AFRPRL 290:31 Social Media in Black and Latino Communties Hunter CUNY Course”

  4. Hi everyone! My name is Shaymaa Nagud and I am a 25 year-old senior at Hunter College. I am majoring in Sociology because I plan to obtain a Master’s degree in Social Work in order to help those in need in our society. I am also minoring in Arabic Studies because after taking 2 brutal years learning the Arabic Language at Hunter, I realized I needed just two more classes to declare it as my minor. I am Egyptian- Puerto-Rican and was born and raised in New York City. I lived in Puerto-Rico for 6 months and resided in Egypt for two and a half years. Unfortunately, I am not fluent in either language, although I can read and write Arabic to some extent. Something I am very passionate about is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, especially with what is currently occurring in Gaza. The death toll there is now over 2,000 with over 10,000 injured and 1.8 civilians displaced. Compare these numbers to Israel’s 68 death toll, a country claiming to be “defending” itself. The numbers are unbelievably disproportionate, however the United States and our President continue to provide Israel with weapons which are subsequently used to kill innocent civilians. Nevertheless, despite the staggering inequality between the Palestinian and Israeli death tolls, the media has been biased in its coverage of the Palestinian side and has purposely dehumanized them to the point that the death of 2,000 civilians is being justified because of the murder and abduction of 3 Israeli teenagers.

    This brings me to why I chose to take the course on Social Media in Black and Latino Communities, the first of its kind in any college. The image that made me realize that there is a similarity between the Black community in Ferguson and the Palestinian struggle are the tear gas canisters that were used against both sets of people. The canisters that were used in Ferguson were also the same ones used against the occupied people of Palestine. The current events that are unfolding between the Black community in Ferguson and the largely white police force, where only 3 percent are black, is not unlike what is going on between the Israelis and Palestinians. The murders of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, John Crawford, and Ezell Ford has caused people to take to the streets in protest of this injustice. However, the Ferguson police force have responded in an armed, militarized fashion as if they were combating an enemy, throwing tear gas canisters and firing rubber bullets into the mass of protesters, something reminiscent of Israel and its reaction towards the Palestinians. Black and Latino men just like Palestinians, have been dehumanized on the news in order for people to loose sympathy for their murders making it all the easier for their deaths to be swept under the rug.

    I have learned about a majority of what is going on through my social media accounts such as Facebook and Instagram. In return, I have helped spread awareness about what is going on in Gaza and have also shared videos that you would never see on Televised News. Social media outlets such as Facebook help play an important part in getting people to understand what is going and what can be done to get active. It also makes for gathering and protesting a lot more easily and the information more accessible to those who otherwise would have no idea how to get involved. There has been a lot of Social activism going on for Palestine, but I wonder can this form of activism be also used for the injustices that are occurring in the Black and Latino communities and if so how effective will it be?

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  7. Reblogged this on My Blog and commented:
    Hi my name is Karolina . I am 22 years old and am currently majoring in biochemistry at hunter college. I know that taking this social media class is far beyond the scope of my major however I’m sure it will provide me with useful insights that will help me mature even more as a scholar. My decision on taking this class was mostly influenced by taking a previous class in AFRPRL in the 100’s. I do not remember the exact course number however I do remember that it was a puerto rico conquest and resistance class. I learned things that I previously did not know. And not only about Puerto rico but about the United States as well. I learned that the United States has control over some countries calling them commonwealths. The US controls their government and holds army bases there. These commonwealths would be considered colonies in the past however since it is not acceptable to colonize they have called them such to hide the reality of their doings. The US made it seem as if they benefited the people of P.R, however they were solely benefiting themselves and actually hurting the people. They established an army base to strengthen their military strength throughout the world even thought that posed a threat for the people of P.R. To give the people security they automatically provided the people of P.R with a citizenship of the U.S. I do not remember specific situations or conditions that proved that the U.S was exploiting P.R. however i remember there were many articles and cases that did. I was looking at my choices of classes to fulfill a requirement and zoomed it down to an AFRPRL class due to taking the previous class that I really enjoyed. So that is how I ended up taking this class. Being aware that this generation is built on technology, social media plays a big part in our life. It may seem like social media is just an electronic/static way to communicate with the world , however its emotional response is underestimated. I say this because so many times did we hear of cases where someone felt hurt or insulted via social media even to an extent that ended up in suicide. People post and say things to others on social medias in a way they would not in person making some things easier to say and some harder. It has become a new generation of communication. I am curious about how social media specifically affects African Americans and Latinos. I feel sort of numb as to how differently these two races engage with media due to not being able to recognize such signs. I hope this class makes me see social media in a different way.

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  8. Hi my name is Karolina . I am 22 years old and am currently majoring in biochemistry at hunter college. I know that taking this social media class is far beyond the scope of my major however I’m sure it will provide me with useful insights that will help me mature even more as a scholar. My decision on taking this class was mostly influenced by taking a previous class in AFRPRL in the 100’s. I do not remember the exact course number however I do remember that it was a puerto rico conquest and resistance class. I learned things that I previously did not know. And not only about Puerto rico but about the United States as well. I learned that the United States has control over some countries calling them commonwealths. The US controls their government and holds army bases there. These commonwealths would be considered colonies in the past however since it is not acceptable to colonize they have called them such to hide the reality of their doings. The US made it seem as if they benefited the people of P.R, however they were solely benefiting themselves and actually hurting the people. They established an army base to strengthen their military strength throughout the world even thought that posed a threat for the people of P.R. To give the people security they automatically provided the people of P.R with a citizenship of the U.S. I do not remember specific situations or conditions that proved that the U.S was exploiting P.R. however i remember there were many articles and cases that did. I was looking at my choices of classes to fulfill a requirement and zoomed it down to an AFRPRL class due to taking the previous class that I really enjoyed. So that is how I ended up taking this class. Being aware that this generation is built on technology, social media plays a big part in our life. It may seem like social media is just an electronic/static way to communicate with the world , however its emotional response is underestimated. I say this because so many times did we hear of cases where someone felt hurt or insulted via social media even to an extent that ended up in suicide. People post and say things to others on social medias in a way they would not in person making some things easier to say and some harder. It has become a new generation of communication. I am curious about how social media specifically affects African Americans and Latinos. I feel sort of numb as to how differently these two races engage with media due to not being able to recognize such signs. I hope this class makes me see social media in a different way.
    karola0405wordpress.com

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  11. The Bio of Black Robb

    As a Media major at Hunter College I was attracted to the Social Media In Black and Latino Communities course because social media is what is ever-present in the world of media
    today and it is not presenting any foreshadow of decreasing it’s acceleration. In fact it is showing the tell tail signs of most of the technology that we are seeing today by changing to fit the need and wants of the communities that use them. Because if they don’t they will suffer the fate the social media fore-parents. Which is that people will just move on to something new. Also since I will be working in the media industry I have to have the most accurate understanding of the field of social media. To be able to see the saintly and devilish from point of view of scholar that has planted the seeds of intense study on the subject. To become an expert that is called when needed, knowledge that can’t be denied. Which can also lead to creating a livelihood for myself. Also I’m a black person that uses social media for personal and work.

    In the past I have been a Social Media intern at from Frank 151, which is hip-hop, skateboarding, culture, music, etc. publication and publicity and creative company. Where I interacted with the Frank 151 online community. My other interaction where to promote the Frank 151 or get people to purchase item on the FranK151.com website. But I never got to the point where was real conversation happening. A few comments here and there and it would end. Plus I had to write in a voice that was not mine. Yes I did understand the culture of Frank 151 as reader and member of the community. But the Frank 151 voice was a white male voice. So you can where I had to trailer my writing style to fit into Frank 151’s expression.

    At present I am also one of the Producer’s of the Bronx International Film Festival where I do all the Facebook and twitter post for festival. So you can see where this class would be put into use insanity. Besides updates on the festival my post are mostly on using articles on filmmaking, technology and some Bronx events pulled for their Facebook feeds or websites for example Indiewire.com. Using our Facebook and Twitter to pass along information on to our filmmaking/film festival community.

    Lastly this class give me greater insight into the world of social media from within the black and latino communities. How in the macro sense how the whole community express how we feel about certain topics that directly effect our communities. In the micro sense who are the influencers, advocates and etc that are the voice of these ethnic social media spaces. What are they saying? Why do people listen to them, Who are their distracters? How are they seen outside the community? Because we are part of so many communities for example especially living in New York city. Where there are multiple layers of experience that have to navigate on daily bases. This class will provide me with rock solid footing in the starting blocks.

    Black Robb

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  14. Hello everyone, and welcome to my class blog! My name is Ysleni Leger and I am a senior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Political Science. I am 23 years old and have a gorgeous 3 year old going on 30. There are a couple of reasons I ended up in this class this semester. First, let me start by saying I was shocked when I found this class on cunyfirst. A social media class at Hunter?! I was thrilled. While registering for classes that I needed for my upcoming graduation, I realized I needed a class that satisfied Hunter’s Pluralism and Diversity B. I was on the hunt for something interesting and different when I found this class.

    This class attracted me for an array of reasons. First, it’s different; I like different. I actually thrive on it. As interesting and important as the civil war is, I’ve been taking those classes since middle school, so I was ready for a change. I am also Latina. Although I was born and raised here in the U.S, both my parents are Dominican and I greatly identify with the culture. I think it is important for us not only to explore our past but look into our future. It is my opinion that the Social Media Revolution has just begun. With technology advancing I can only imagine how much more it can revolutionize the way we connect, do business and socialize.

    I currently have a couple of Social Media accounts open, although I am not active in all of them. I have MySpace, which I just haven’t gotten around to closing. I also have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr. Facebook I don’t really use unless it is to keep up with family who I don’t see much and some friends here and there, other than that I am not really active on it. Instagram I do you actively, just not to post. I post pictures here and there but not with great frequency (last post was Dec 2013). However, I do comment and like a lot of pictures. Twitter I have and I don’t know why. I never log in and don’t even remember my password. I tried it because some friends suggested it, but never really liked it (gasp)! My all time favorite Social Media Platform is Tumblr. I am very active in posting, liking, reflagging and commenting. I actually have around 5 different tumblr blog all different (now 6). I feel like the tumblr community is so free and accepting and just random like me.

    As I digress from my rambling I’d like to touch upon what I am hoping to get out of the class or some topics I’d like to explore. i feel like social media has allowed for a plethora of new small business owners. Everyday people who had no resources to start their own business before are able to do it now. If you design clothes but can’t afford to rent a space, no worries. Open an Instagram account, display your goods and start networking! It has allowed many people I know personally to slowly pull themselves out of poverty. On the other hand, I am worried about a lot of the content and age of the people posting it. When did 11 year olds twerking and fighting on Facebook become a post that everyone would like. I would like to explore the future and direction both the good and the bad Social Media and the people in Black and Latino Communities that participate.

    https://www.tumblr.com/blog/yslenicomments

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  16. I intend on being a triple major in English, AFPRL, and Sociology. I am a writer, only child and lactose intolerant pizza lover. I am participating in this class because the title was unique, and I am interested in observing the different aspects of the creativity of the black and Latino communities. It doesn’t surprise me to learn that most users of social media are black and Latino (people of color are the world majority), and that not much effort has been used in analyzing black and Latino social media use beyond as a means of marketing. Capitalism depends on selling stuff, so why would these world movers care about how different ethnic groups may be using the internet to connect with each other? They wouldn’t and they don’t. A body is just money in the world we live in today.
    I have a Facebook account, and what I like most about it is that it provides “free” storage for an unlimited amount of my pictures. I put free in quotes because Facebook’s security is iffy, and whenever you post anything online, even if it’s private, it can be broken into (legally or otherwise), so that freedom has its price. I also have a handful of Youtube channels I subscribe to, including Naptural85 (DIY natural hair care products and styles) and Infinite Waters (an “infinite” being and life coach). I will make my own channel in the future, and I’ll upload videos on natural hair care, my perspective on black American issues, and healthy eating and thinking.
    I have a Twitter account– two actually. I forgot the passwords to both. I only created them to follow the colleges I attended and different college clubs I was interested in. Because of this course, I will finally have an Instagram. I can’t say that I’m really looking forward to it. I have a sort of old school way of interacting with people– face to face. I understand that to effectively study something, you have to be engaged in it, so I’m not complaining. I just don’t want to get “sucked in” to anything like so many people I know.

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  17. From all the readings I’ve done, and all the posts I’ve personally seen on Social Media, I have noticed that the Black Community is very tight knit. They might have not had a voice a years ago, but things have changed. I believe that Social Media sites such as Twitter have completely revolutionized communication for minority groups. It provides a platform for people to be heard. It allows for people who normally wouldn’t have an audience to have one. It allows for our concerns to be heard and acknowledged.

    I personally don’t believe that Blacks are using Twitter wrong. They have created new words that all ethnicities use. They have used their voice to speak up on events and news that are real and close to them. I remember logging in to any social media site and seeing the massive amounts of posts supporting Trayvon Martin and his family. I recall the pictures, words, and even poems posted demanding justice. Walking into any salon, barbershop or establishment and the trial was on the TV. It was such a good feeling to see us minorities paying attention to the news and the things going on around us and speaking up. It was such an emotional night when George Zimmerman was found innocent. I, along with millions waiting for a verdict that would bring some sort of closure to Trayvon’s parents. Instead Social Media sites were flooded with complaints of injustice. That is what Black Twitter represents to me. It represents us, as a whole community of minorities having a voice and using it. As always, when the underdog steps up some people will become upset. They will become scared and try to turn things around and portray a different reality. They will focus on anything negative and neglect all the positive things happening.

    As a group of young minorities, we helped choose the President of the United States. We became informed, we became involved and we became active. We didn’t let anyone else decide our future and we had a massive amount of turn out. We were represented.I am proud to say I voted. I voted for Obama both times and encouraged others to do also through Social Media. I had friends who were White, Black and Hispanic tweeting, posting on FB, and Instagram reminding people to vote. Even my friend Mya who is Black was encouraging her friends on FB to vote for whoever they wanted, but to vote. I find that to be what encompasses the black community; communication. Mya wanted Obama to win desperately, however she wanted everyone Democrat or Republican to exercise their right to vote for whoever they wanted. That is Black Twitter to me. It is having a voice, having a choice and being aware of things that affect your community.

    https://www.tumblr.com/blog/yslenicomments

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