Tweets as
Curriculum
Using #BLACKINTHEIVORY Tweets
To make it plain, the #BlackintheIvory tweets should be handled with care. Let’s not re-traumatize individuals who have already experienced so much. If, after reading the tweets, you are outraged by the stories, then consider going to the Being #BlackintheIvory Infographic to learn some ways that you can start making a change within your sphere of influence. Moreover, if you want to learn more about anti-Black racism in the academy, then look out for the BLACK IN THE IVORY™ book that is set to publish in Spring 2023. Updates for the book will be announced on Twitter by @BlackintheIvory and The Creator @DrShardeDavis.
Ethic of Care
Avoid publishing a screenshot of someone’s #BlackintheIvory tweet(s) in blogs, research manuscripts, news articles, etc. unless you have permission from the author of the tweet.
If you want to share #BlackintheIvory vignettes as examples of anti-Black racism, consider de-identifying the message so that someone’s name, university affiliation, and other personal information are not included.
Avoid viewing the tweets as a data site for research.
If you are assigning these tweets, consider offering some form of compensation in exchange for this open-access teaching material. How can you do this? See below.
Ways to Offer Compensation
Contribute to Bless a Black Graduate Student Project.
Buy a book from an author in the #BlackintheIvory Bookstore or any other text about anti-Blackness or anti-Black racism that is authored by Blackademics.
Gift books from the #BlackintheIvory Bookstore to people within your sphere of influence. For instance, you might consider gifting them to your undergraduate and graduate students, neighbors, office mates, or even family members.
In your courses, be intentional about assigning research that is authored by Blackademics, including textbooks, books, and journal articles.
Secure department/university funds to create an in-house public library with books about anti-Black racism and anti-Blackness for your students. And be sure that they are written by Black scholars. If that’s not permissible, then collate monies from faculty in the department to reach this end.
Assign the BLACK IN THE IVORY™ Book in undergraduate and graduate courses when it is published in Spring 2023.
Send money via an e-payment app to the author of a tweet that resonated with you. Many scholars publish their e-payment information in their Instagram, Twitter, etc. profile. You can also send them a message to ask for this information.
Offer monetary compensation to every Blackademic that you invite to speak: guest lecturing to your class, presenting their research to your department, or even guest hosting a Brown Bag meeting with your students. Their time is valuable and deserves to be honored.