Creating an Anti-Racist Digital Identity

I am a sociologist. I deeply believe in C. Wright Mills’ concept, the sociological imagination, which requires us to place our experiences in the history and biography of wider society. So, as I work to craft my digital identity in a thoughtful, intentional, and strategic way – with the help of #DigPINS resources – I cannot separate this work from the context of current events. Black, brown, and indigenous communities are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the United States’ long history of racism and police brutality has entered the spotlight once again with the death of George Floyd and the subsequent violent attacks on peaceful protesters and media alike.

I am engaged in deepening my anti-racism work; I am reading the books of sociologists such as Margaret Hagerman and Tressie McMillan Cottom and I am actively trying to raise my white kids to be anti-racist (as I share resources with members of their school board to help shape their curriculum). So, when I think about creating my digital identity, I am now asking these questions: what does an anti-racist digital identity look like? I know there is work being done on White Identity Development but how does that translate to digital spaces? And how can I ensure that my digital footprint does not cause harm but instead works to foster justice and equity? I am trying to listen and learn from BIPOC scholars, activists, and journalists on Twitter without asking them to reproduce additional labor by helping me in this project (or in any of my other anti-racism work).

I know there are already conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the worlds of digital Pedagogy, Networks, and Scholarship. What about in Identity or the “I” in #DigPINS? I want to create a digital identity that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion in my consumption, conversation, and creation, of media in digital spaces. I do not have all the answers, but I am committed to doing more and better racial justice work, this includes creating an anti-racist digital identity.

-Carmel Price is an Associate Professor of Sociology and an Affiliate Faculty of the Center for Arab American Studies and the Women’s & Gender Studies programs at the University of Michigan Dearborn.