EVENT: Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Digital Propaganda in Black Communities

The DISCO (Digital Inquiry, Speculation, Collaboration, and Optimism) Network at the University of Michigan is hosting a hybrid panel, “Diaspora Wars and Going 50/50: Sowing Disunity in Black Communities Through Digital Propaganda” on Thursday, November 6, 2025 from 4:00-5:30 PM ET.

The panel features:

• Brooklyne Gipson (she/her), Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University – New Brunswick
• Jamilah Lemieux, leading millennial feminist thinker, social influencer, and game-changing media maverick
• AE Stevenson, Assistant Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at the University of Chicago
• Moderator: Catherine Knight Steele, Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland – College Park and Founding Director of the Andrew W. Mellon funded African American Digital Humanities Initiative (AADHum)

From the event posting:

This panel brings together Black feminist scholars, writers, and public intellectuals to examine how and why debates about gender, sexuality, and nationality consistently emerge as top topics on social media platforms within Black discursive communities. How do algorithms and influencer culture contribute to sowing discontent and misinformation among Black social media users? We consider the social and political implications, who ultimately benefits from these conversations, and how we can make different choices around our own engagement and participation.

Register to attend on Zoom.