The Digital Lives of Black Women in Britain: Between Creativity, Community, and Commodification

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Black women’s digital creativity and work is at the forefront of many significant media, creative, and cultural production changes in Britain—yet they rarely receive sustained public recognition and substantial sources of long-term institutional support.

Drawing on five years of research for her recently published book, The Digital Lives of Black Women in Britain (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020), Dr Francesca Sobande reveals how the digital creativity of Black women is often exploited by commercial organisations, including brands that attempt to \"diversify\" their image due to its potential profitability.

She argues that although Black women are increasingly identified as digital \"trendsetters\" by businesses, they are simultaneously erased and hyper-visible as creators, knowledge-producers, and social movement builders. Dr Sobande explores the tensions between digital culture’s communal, counter-cultural, and commercial qualities, focusing on how these matters are shaped by intersecting anti-blackness, sexism, and other forms of entangled oppression.

This talk, part of the Digit Debates series, is held in partnership with the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics Women and Gender Forum.