Student Submission CUNY Hunter College Spring 2025

The portrayal of Black women in digital spaces reveals persistent and often overlooked patterns of bias. While the internet is often assumed to be an open platform for expression, it frequently reflects the same racial and gendered hierarchies found offline. Black women are not only underrepresented in positive narratives but are also disproportionately targeted by harassment, mischaracterized by stereotypes, and restricted by algorithmic systems. Their voices are often minimized or silenced through platform design choices that claim neutrality but reproduce structural inequality.

One of the key challenges in exploring this issue was sourcing material that accurately reflected these experiences without reinforcing harmful tropes. It required careful attention to language, imagery, and statistics. Much of the available data generalizes findings under broad categories like “women” or “people of color,” which makes the specific realities of Black women harder to trace. This absence is itself a reflection of digital erasure, a reminder that even research can contribute to marginalization when it fails to acknowledge nuance.

My understanding of misogynoir has developed significantly. I had previously understood it as a form of online abuse, but I now see it as a much wider system that includes silencing, invisibility, and conditional visibility. Misogynoir operates through both human behavior and technology, especially through filters, moderation practices, and engagement algorithms that subtly devalue Black women’s presence. Recognizing these patterns has deepened my awareness of how oppression adapts to modern digital environments.

Addressing misogynoir requires intentional change from both institutions and individuals. Platforms must examine how their tools and policies contribute to inequality. They must create space for Black women to shape content guidelines and technological development. At the same time, users must move beyond passive consumption. Supporting Black women’s voices, calling out digital harm, and engaging critically with online content are necessary to build safer and more equitable digital spaces.

Works Cited

Amnesty International. Crowdsourced Twitter study reveals shocking scale of online abuse against women. Amnesty International, 2018, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2018/12/crowdsourced-twitter-study-reveals-shocking-scale-of-online-abuse-against-women/

Bailey, Moya. Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women’s Digital Resistance. NYU Press, 2021.

Pew Research Center. The State of Online Harassment. 13 Jan. 2021, www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/.