Intro to Sociology 2e OpenStax
First, read Chapter 11. Then, read the following three (3) articles:
“We Need to Talk About Digital Blackface in Reaction GIFs” by Dr. Lauren Michele Jackson for Teen Vogue (https://www.teenvogue.com/story/digital-blackface-reaction-gifs
(Links to an external site.)
)
“The Sapphire Caricature” by Dr. David Pilgrim for the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/antiblack/sapphire.htm
(Links to an external site.)
)
“The Jezebel Stereotype” by Dr. David Pilgrim for the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/jezebel/index.htm
(Links to an external site.)
)
I also recommend that students explore the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/
(Links to an external site.)
). The museum has a lot of information, but I think the students will find the following pages most informative:
“The Origins of Jim Crow” (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/origins.htm
(Links to an external site.)
)
“Anti-Black Imagery” (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/antiblack/index.htm
(Links to an external site.)
)
“N*gger and Caricature” (https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/caricature/homepage.htm
(Links to an external site.)
)
Content Warning: this page (and others from the Jim Crow Museum) uses offensive terms, uncensored, in an academic context (i.e., in order to teach people about the history and impact of this language). Viewing this content may be harmful to some students; please contact the Professor immediately if you have any concerns.
When referencing material from the Jim Crow Museum (or using any language which can be considered offensive and harmful), the best practice is to avoid using the offensive language altogether. When you cannot avoid using this language (such as making a direct reference to a problematic word), you should make every effort to censor this language using asterisks (e.g., N***er) or allusions (e.g., “the n-word”). Although this type of censorship does not completely negate the harms this offensive language, it can help indicate to other readers that you recognize the offensive nature of the language and that you are making every effort to avoid intentionally harming others. Please contact the Professor immediately if you have any concerns.
After reading the textbook and the three required articles (and possibly exploring more of the Jim Crow Museum), answer the following questions:
In your own words, define / explain what Dr. Lauren Michele Jackson calls “digital blackface.”
Is digital blackface an example of “stereotyping,” “prejudice,” or “discrimination”? Why or why not?
Are there any other terms or concepts from Chapter 11 that are relevant to digital blackface?
In your own words, define / explain the Sapphire and Jezebel caricatures. How are they related to digital blackface?
What insight would a proponent of Intersection Theory (also known as Intersectionality) contribute this conversation?
Your answers should incorporate any relevant information from the textbook using in-text citations to indicate the chapter and section where the information can be found (e.g., Chapter 11.3), and should reflect a thoughtful and organized response (not a “rough draft” or “stream of consciousness” response). You must answer all of the questions and your total response must be at least ten (10) sentences long.
