{"id":9082,"date":"2019-11-08T20:26:41","date_gmt":"2019-11-08T20:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citejournal.org\/\/\/"},"modified":"2020-02-24T16:18:34","modified_gmt":"2020-02-24T16:18:34","slug":"educate-empower-advocate-amplifying-marginalized-voices-in-a-digital-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citejournal.org\/volume-19\/issue-4-19\/english-language-arts\/educate-empower-advocate-amplifying-marginalized-voices-in-a-digital-society","title":{"rendered":"Educate, Empower, Advocate: Amplifying Marginalized Voices in a Digital Society"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>The first one I think is most helpful is don&#8217;t prescribe unless you can describe. It&#8217;s really learning about how to describe the impact of a policy decision or the impact of a situation from a first-person perspective. If you can&#8217;t do it from a first-person perspective then don&#8217;t prescribe a solution because you could be actually exacerbating the problem and that might have unintended consequences in the future. (Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha, as quoted in Waters, 2017)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The Internet and other communication technologies (ICTs)\ncan provide powerful spaces for social justice education and civic action.\nDigital devices and social media have shown significant potential by activists\nto mobilize the public, document their activities and the injustices they\nwitness, and spread information to a wider audience (Bennett, 2008). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within these contexts, some individuals are inspired to\nidentify ways they can leverage digital technologies to work toward positive\nsocial change (Ellison, Steinfield, &amp; Lampe, 2007). This article begins with\na quotation from Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha, an\nactivist from the Charleston, South Carolina, area to call attention to the\nneed to focus on work at the grassroots level and to describe these events and\ninequalities at the local level before moving to prescribe, or consider the\nimplications, for teacher education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across society, youth are increasingly speaking up to\naddress societal problems (Humphrey, 2013; Stornaiuolo &amp; Thomas, 2017).\nFrom Show Up for Racial Justice to United We Dream to the Movement for Black\nLives to The Sunrise Movement, youth are increasingly engaged in activism. As\nyouth utilize these digital, connected texts, educators need to understand what\nmakes their voices uniquely powerful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As educators learn and adapt to these new practices, youth\nare watching and learning from these events and texts as well. Youth are engaging in their own community engaged\nactivist work at the local and global level, many times independent of adult\nmodeling and input. Perhaps more importantly, English language arts\n(ELA) educators need to consider ways in which they can bring these skills,\npractices, and texts into the classroom. What can educators learn about these\npractices as they bring activism and texts or narratives shared by activists\ninto the ELA classroom? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bringing activist practices and texts into the classroom\ncan take multiple forms. One form could be a classroom teacher who wants to\nteach a controversial text like <em>The Hate\nU Give<\/em> (Thomas, 2017) and it is met with protest and controversy from the\nlocal police departments. For example, in the summer of 2018 Charleston, South\nCarolina, area police protested the inclusion of this novel as a school\nassignment, citing complaints about the book\u2019s \u201canti-police\nmessage\u201d (Bowers, 2018). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another form could be a classroom teacher recognizing that\nstudents are speaking out against gun violence online and in the local area and\nchoosing to support and amplify their voices. Examples of this appear in\nstories of teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School choosing to\nsupport and amplify the voices of their students as they speak out against gun\nviolence in and out of our schools (Kissel, Whittingham, Laman, &amp; Miller,\n2019). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A classroom teacher could decide to speak out or strike in\nsupport of better teacher pay, support of schools, and investment in the\ncommunity. Examples include recent educator protests from 55 Strong in West\nVirginia (Slocum, Hathaway, &amp; Bernstein, 2018) to the Red 4 Ed and SC for\nEd protests in recent years (Hale, 2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In each of these instances, the educator and students\naccept a certain amount of risk (Ryan, 2016). Mistakes will be made as each of\nthese individuals (i.e., students and educators) engage in these literacy\npractices. Many in the audience will not receive or contextualize this\ncommunication simply at face value. That is to say that individuals cannot expect &#8220;best faith efforts&#8221; as an\naudience consumes and responds to shared content. An audience may seek to take statements\nand action out of context, harass, and troll (Van der Nagel &amp; Frith, 2015).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The research described in this article\nsought to identify existing challenges and opportunities and provide guidance\nfor educators as they consider engaging with digital activism practices and\ntexts in the classroom. I\nreviewed contexts as society moves from activism to digital activism as a lens\nto examine how adults and youth use these digital, social technologies to\nadvance social change. The \u201creal world\u201d reactions and implications of\nconnecting using digital texts\/tools to enact change pedagogically were\nexamined. This study responded directly to these pressing needs by asking the\nfollowing questions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>How\ndo activists use digital, social technologies for the purposes of amplifying\nmarginalized voices and enacting social change?<\/li><li>How\ncan these acts of digital activism be leveraged to inform ELA teachers as they\nsupport inquiry, empathy, and connection in their classrooms? <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This qualitative case study integrated ethnographic and\ndiscourse analytic methods to examine the use of digital tools for activist\npurposes by Shakem Amen Akhet, a self-described leader of the Black Nationalist\nMovement in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. Shakem is also the executive\ndirector of the Muhiyidin d\u2019Baha Leadership Academy, an academy for African\nAmerican youth named after a slain Charleston Black Lives Matter activist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha, was a leading Black Lives Matter activist\nknown nationally for crossing a yellow police tape line to snatch a Confederate\nbattle flag from a demonstrator on live television in Charleston, South\nCarolina, in February 2017 (Cobb, 2018). A year later, in February 2018, d\u2019Baha\nwas shot while riding a bicycle through the streets of New Orleans a little\nafter midnight. He died soon after due to the massive loss of blood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tensions have been at a boiling point in the Charleston\narea after the Walter Scott shooting and the massacre at the Charleston AME\nChurch. This study examined how activists like Shakem utilized digital, social\ntools to work toward social justice education and addressing local problems. The\nstudy focused on the personal and professional contexts of Shakem\u2019s life as an\nactivist and as an educator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because Shakem is actively utilizing digital tools as part\nof this work, it is important to study and learn from him as he uses digital\ntools, especially in this grim climate. In interviews with Shakem, he shared\ninsight about the challenges in pushing back against harmful discourses with\ngrace, determination, and a commitment to justice. Shakem utilizes digital,\nsocial tools to document and share his narrative and the narratives of others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Artifacts collected in the case study include multimodal\ncontent (i.e., images, video, web links, etc.) showing examples of this work\nand participant interviews to support the findings and implications presented.\nShakem gave me permission to use his real name in addition to his Facebook\nidentities, as well as screenshots of his social media posts in this\npublication. The findings identify opportunities for educators to educate,\nempower, and advocate for youth as digitally literate citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Review of\nthe Relevant Literature<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Activism <\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Activism is generally defined as intentional actions conducted by organized individuals or groups in an effort to bring about social change (Parsons, 1937; Shaw, 2013). Defining activism involves an examination of the social movements and contexts within which it exists. Cammaerts (2015) defined social movements as a \u201csocial process through which collective actors articulate their interests, voice grievances and critiques, and proposed solutions to identified problems by engaging in a variety of collective actions\u201d (p. 1027). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Activism\nas viewed as a social movement has three features (Della Porta &amp; Diani,\n2009): (a) They are characterized by disagreement or conflict and have clearly\nidentified ideological opponents; (b) they are structured through dense\ninformal networks; and (c) they are geared toward developing, sustaining and\nsharing collective identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Activism usually begins at the local or grassroots level as\npeople come together to \u201cconvince, pressure, or coerce external decision makers\nto meet collective goals either to act in a specified manner or to modify or\nstop certain activities\u201d (Staples, 2016, p. 11). As such, the perspective of \u201ccontestation\u201d is a core component of activism, as\nwell as the tenets of advocacy, conflict, and transgression (Ganesh &amp;\nZoller, 2012). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the world adapts to a digital revolution, newfound tools\nof social media have reinvented activism and moved many elements from print to\npixel (Sivitanides &amp; Shah, 2011). The\nresearch described here sought to describe these tools and practices utilized\nin digital activism and identify opportunities for teacher educators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Digital Activism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The label of digital activism is an increasingly popular term that is both broad and ambiguous (Yang, 2016). It loosely refers to the use of digital media and ICTs for political purposes (Gerbaudo, 2017). To a larger extent, it can be referred to as the use of technology to promote a political agenda or a social change, ranging from hacktivism (Denning, 2001), denial of service attacks (Bessant, 2016), to hashtag activism (Jackson, 2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In\nthis paper digital activism is defined as the use of ICTs such as social media,\ne-mail, podcasts, and other forms of digital media. A bricolage of digital\ntexts, tools, and spaces are leveraged to enable faster, more effective\ncommunication by citizen movements to large or specific audiences for the\npurposes of fundraising, community building, lobbying, and organizing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital activism is studied across a\nmultiplicity of fields (e.g., anthropology, sociology, media and communication\nstudies, and political science) that examine the practices and affordances of\nthe social, political, and civic contexts in which these actions occur (Loader\n&amp; Mercea, 2012; Robertson, 2018). Each of these adds different disciplinary\ninsights and diverse perspectives or approaches into understanding of this\ngrowing field. Each field is impacted by the different localities and global\ncontexts in which digital activism occurs (Routledge, 2003), as well as the\npurposes and practices of activist groups and advances in new technologies\n(McCaughey &amp; Ayers, 2013). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital activism is often determined by the affordances of\na specific digital text, tool, or space (Dahlberg, 2011). Networked\ntechnologies used by activists are often seen as the \u201cintersection between\nsocial context, political purpose, and technological possibility\u201d (Gillan, Pickerill, &amp; Webster, 2008, p. 151). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital, social platforms and tools offer\ndiffering types of communicative practices (Fenton &amp; Barassi, 2011). Some\nplatforms are more conducive to one-to-one,\none-to-many and many-to-many communication. Digital activists need to negotiate\nthese competencies and affordances as they leverage these tools to inform their\ntactics (Van Laer &amp; Van Aelst, 2010). As a result, activists need to\nnegotiate the affordances of different tools, platforms, and spaces as they\nengage with others. They need to consider real-time communication, as opposed\nto asynchronous communicative practices. They also need to understand that some\nplatforms offer anonymity to users and privacy in communication, whereas others\ndo not. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Activist Literacies and Youth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As digital texts and tools become more ubiquitous in\nsociety and schools, the barriers to youth exposure and engagement with digital\ntexts are minimized (Alvermann, 2011; Turner, Abrams, Katic, &amp; Donovan,\n2014). More to the point, adolescents have been shown to spend most of their\ntime in and out of school engaging with digital media (Livingstone, 2008; Salmela-Aro, Upadyaya, Hakkarainen, Lonka, &amp; Alho,\n2017). This social connectedness and accessibility to content is\nidentified as participatory culture (Jenkins, 2009) and begs questions about\npossible democratizing effects of allowing all users to participate,\ncommunicate, freely exchange information, and create content they believe is\nmeaningful (Couldry, 2015, Garcia, Mirra, Morrell, Martinez, &amp;\nScorza, 2015; Muhammad &amp; Womack, 2016).\nThe challenge comes when the desires of individuals comes into conflict with\nthe membership structures and hierarchies and move from offline to online\ncontexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Networked publics enable and enrich\nspecific community discourses that signify participation and engagement amongst\na collective in digital spaces (Ito et al., 2009). The term <em>public<\/em> can hold different meanings for different\npurposes and practices (Wenger, 1999). As digital technologies become even more\nubiquitous around the globe, multiple versions of public, or publics, exist as\nindividuals identify, connect, communicate, and engage with others (Deuze,\n2006; Rheingold, 2008). In these spaces, networked publics are not just\nindividuals grouped together, but \u201ctransformed by networked media, its\nproperties, and its potential.\u201d (boyd, 2010, p. 4) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The interactions, needs, and concerns of\nthese collectives are shaped and modified by the spaces and tools they use to\ncongregate (Lai &amp; Turban, 2008). Participating with networked publics in\nopen, digital spaces requires an extra appreciation for the risks, roles, and\nresponsibilities that come with experimenting in current and future contexts\n(Picazo-Vela, Guti\u00e9rrez-Mart\u00ednez, &amp; Luna-Reyes, 2012; Simon\n&amp; Campano, 2013).\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pedagogies that embed activist practices and texts require\nelements of social justice education (Dover, 2013) as educators build the\ndispositions necessary to contextualize and work to enact social change (Alsup &amp; Miller, 2014). Teaching for social justice\nis influenced by a diverse constellation of approaches from the educational,\npolitical, and philosophical (Dover, 2013). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social justice education (Ayers, Quinn, &amp; Stovall,\n2009; Grant, 2012) integrates elements of critical pedagogy (Duncan-Andrade\n&amp; Morrell, 2008; Freire 1970), multicultural education (Banks, 1995), and\nculturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995). The focus is on creating\nopportunities and building individual dispositions so that youth can engage in\nparticipatory spaces to promote societal change (Picower, 2011; Westheimer\n&amp; Kahne, 2004). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Foregrounding social justice thinking in educational\npractice can sometimes be challenging, as educators need to weave together a\ntapestry of \u201cdiscursive and pedagogical practices\u201d (Bialystok, 2014, p. 148).\nHytten and Bettez (2011) provided a framework to identify five, interconnected\nstrands that help knit together social justice education in learning\nenvironments: (a) philosophical\/conceptual, (b) practical, (c)\nethnographic\/narrative, (d) theoretically specific, and (e) democratically\ngrounded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social justice education is defined in this research as a\nprocess and a goal, where educators focus on the development of a democratic\nenvironment in which learners are empowered to engage actively in their\neducation, understand the roles that power and privilege play in systems, and\nreflect on opportunities to challenge or disrupt these systems (Bell, 1997;\nHackman, 2005).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Experimentation by youth in digital spaces provides opportunities to reshape narratives to better reflect perspectives that are routinely marginalized or silenced (Price-Dennis, 2016; Stornaiuolo &amp; Thomas 2017, 2018). Through the process of <em>restorying<\/em>, young adults are able to use digital texts, tools, and spaces to write themselves into being (Muhammad, 2012; Thomas &amp; Stornaiuolo, 2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This\nprocess of restorying paves a path for individuals to narrate their story,\nwhile also synthesizing, or recontextualizing, dominant narratives to serve as\ncounternarration, or disruption of inequalities in society (Haddix, Everson,\n&amp; Hodge, 2015; Olan &amp; Richmond, 2017; Stornaiuolo &amp; Thomas 2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This\nresearch identified opportunities to leverage these counterspaces and\ncounternarratives to allow individuals to come together and have tough\ndiscussions about tough topics (as in Johnson,\nBass, &amp; Hicks, 2014). Through this experimentation with digital\nactivist practices in the classroom, educators and students can identify\nmoments to heal (Baker-Bell, Stanbrough, &amp;\nEverett, 2017). <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Study<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This case study emerged from a larger ethnographic research\nproject that explored the use of technology and networked social networks by\nindividuals in local groups for the purposes of enacting societal change\n(O\u2019Byrne &amp; Hale, 2018). The project sought to describe the role technology\nhas in reinforcing, or perhaps resisting, hurtful discourses. It also studied\nthe offline reactions and implications of connecting using digital texts and\ntools to enact change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Society is witnessing digital activists and average\ncitizens taking advantage of new technologies to provide an alternative way of\norganizing society and push back against troubled, hostile societal narratives\n(Brown &amp; Duguid, 2017). Participants for the larger project were selected\nfrom online advocacy and activist groups in the local Charleston area. Shakem,\nthe focal individual of this case study, quickly stood out as not only a highly\nengaged and productive member of this group, but also because he utilized\ndifferent tools and techniques in his work. In addition, he was open and\naccessible in his interviews as he helped to explain the rationale behind his\nactions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this single case study is not meant to be\nrepresentative of all activists, it does provide opportunities for new ways of\nunderstanding these literacy practices and invites further research into the\npractices of activists as they push for change. This research also provides an\nopportunity to consider the challenges and opportunities that exist as\neducators bring these literacies, practices, and dispositions into ELA\nclassrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this research, Shakem urged educators and researchers to\nclosely study and learn from his practices in digital contexts. These digital\nsocial spaces have also been used to promulgate initiatives and their\ndiscourses to vast audiences, including those that are pervasive in the lives\nof adolescents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Broader civic, educative, and social-emotional concerns are\nalso arising in national and international contexts, while events percolate at\nthe local level. These forces impact learning contexts as educators are asked\nto help students respond, contextualize, and perhaps counteract these\nnarratives. Educators must explore how information and technology shape the\ncontours of the spaces in which learning takes place, while providing guidance\nfor educators as they struggle with how to discuss these trends affect youth\nlearning and engagement in global and local contexts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The purpose of this study was to focus on how activists in\nCharleston formed groups, and utilized technology and media in order to respond\nand react to an increase in instances of hostility towards individuals and\ngroups. These trends are evidenced by the regular battles over the taking down\nof the Confederate flag around the state of South Carolina. They extend to the\nlocal context, as Charleston witnessed the shootings of Walter Scott as well as\nthe murders at the Charleston AME Church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Young adults (and ELA teacher educators) are watching these\nevents and interactions and learning. This fact is relevant to the study of how\nyoung adults and youth interact with each other in school, at home, and in\nsociety. Media and technology are used to create social bonds for community\ndialogue and the promotion of social justice education. Adults and youth\nutilize digital texts and tools to promote the values necessary as participants\nin civic and democratic societies. Within these contexts, a local group of\nindividuals has been actively using technology and social networks as a tool\nfor responding and resisting hostile discourses and actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My\nPositionality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I conducted this research to present\nthe challenges and opportunities that are present as individuals and groups\nutilize digital tools and spaces for the purposes of activism and advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This research and my findings are\nultimately shaped by my positionality, which includes my cultural background\nand value systems and must be made known to the reader (Bourke, 2014; Chiseri-Strater,\n1996). I entered into this research to better understand the impact of these\nliteracy practices on the pedagogical activities and practices of students and\neducators in learning environments from pre-K through higher education. During\nthis research, my positionality as a White man remained as the focus of my\nattention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I do not share the same background or\nidentity at the focal individual of this research, and I am not a member of the\nlocal black grassroots community. I am a White, heterosexual, cisgender male,\nand I lived in the Charleston area for the 5 years before this article was\npublished. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To acknowledge the bias and privilege\nI bring to the research process, I engaged in a process of <em>reflexivity<\/em>\n(Bourke, 2014) to understand how my positionality affects research practice and\nthe production of knowledge from this work. This reflexivity includes\ntransparency in self-disclosure, as well as critical examination of one\u2019s\nmotivations, interests, roles, and assumptions in this work (Chiseri-Strater, 1996; Finlay, 2002). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reflexivity also includes an\nexplication of the power structures involved in social situations involved in\nthis examination (England, 1994; Steier, 1991). Reflexivity is a process of\nself-scrutiny in which the researcher is continually in a \u201cmode of\nself-analysis\u201d (Callaway, 1992, p. 33).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This process, as I sought to be a\nreflective researcher, included several in order to build trust, collaboration,\ncorroboration, and ultimately trustworthiness with research participants (Attia\n&amp; Edge, 2017). The process included regular participant checks with the\nfocal individual of this study, as well as other participants who serve as\nactivists in the local area. In these events, I shared drafts of this research,\nas well as findings from my data collection and analysis. They indicated holes\nin my thinking and perspective and suggested reading materials and research I\nmight use to address these areas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition, Show Up for Racial\nJustice, one of the groups that Shakem was active in, shared a comprehensive\nlist of resources that were used to inform my research. All of these efforts\nwere made to acknowledge and critique my privilege and identity outside of the\ngroup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Focal Individual<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;This case study focuses on the work of Shakem\nAmen Akhet. Shakem, who is identified as a leader of the local chapter of the\nBlack Nationalist Movement, is a community organizer in the Charleston, South\nCarolina, area. Shakem is also an educator, and executive director of the\nMuhiyidin d\u2019Baha Leadership Academy, an academy for African American youth\nnamed after a slain Charleston Black Lives Matter activist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Facebook, Shakem goes by many\nversions of his name on the social network (i.e., Shakem Akhet, Shakem Amen Akhet,\nand Shakem Amen Akhet II). These duplicates of his Facebook profile serve as a\nnecessary tool, as he frequently needs to deal with bans from the network as\nother users give feedback or report his profile for content shared. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakem was selected as the focal\nindividual for this research as a result of topics he raised during interviews\nheld as part of the larger data collection focused on activist groups and their\nuse of digital tools and spaces. Shakem offered two points that served as the\nimpetus for this data collection, analysis, and subsequent paper. First, he\nindicated that it is the responsibility of educators to contextualize current\nevents, and the activities of activists for students in their classrooms. In\ninterviews he indicated the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I think the children are depending on us to tell the narrative. They\u2019re just observing an event. So they\u2019re observing an event and they\u2019re understanding what is going on, but I think it\u2019s up to people like us to put a context, a historical context on what\u2019s happening. Because they\u2019re looking and they\u2019re just kind of like, you know, like wow, you know, they know what\u2019s going on. They see it, they hear it, but they need some sort of context to it. (October 28, 2017) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, Shakem suggested that current\nactivists were not using technology to its full potential. In interviews (Akhet, S. A., personal communication, November 5,\n2017) he suggested that technology offered opportunities for \u201cguerilla warfare\u201d and that they could \u201cfight stronger,\nmore advanced opponents with these resources.\u201d For the most part, activists\nwere \u201ctwos and threes\u201d out of a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of their ability to\neffectively use digital tools to enact change. This research highlights the\ndigital practices of Shakem and obtain some clarity about the points he made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Data Collection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over a yearlong period, from August 2017 to August 2018, I conducted a discourse-centered online ethnography (DCOE; Androutsopoulos, 2008), which included a collection of social media and online posts, semistructured interviews, and participant observation, to gather data on Shakem. With his permission, I collected 334 Facebook posts, links, and Facebook Live videos shared during this time period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\nconducted three video-recorded interviews using Google Hangouts on Air, each\nlasting approximately an hour in length. As part of this research, I \u201cfriended\u201d\nthe participant and joined all Facebook Groups in which he served as an\nadministrator. I conducted many brief exchanges with Shakem either through\nemail, chat, SMS, Facebook Messenger, or comments on Facebook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Field\nnotes and collected information were also gathered during my exploration of the\nInternet to links shared by Shakem or through the use of Internet searches to\nlearn more about a topic. These may include mentions or involvement in other\nmaterials shared online (e.g., blogtalkradio and interviews in local\nnewspapers) to provide background for the\nanalysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Across this dataset, I was able to observe Shakem\u2019s use of digital texts, tools, and spaces for\nthe purposes of engaging in digital activism. I took field notes from this\nexamination of his practices and reflected on many of these in blog posts on my\nwebsite to replicate lessons learned (as also in Heap &amp; Minocha, 2012;\nScanlon, 2013). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All Facebook materials in this paper came from public posts\non one of Shakem\u2019s profile pages. In data collection and analysis, I did not\ninclude photos, videos, or content shared by, or about his family or personal\nconnections. In this I was intentional on showing respect for Shakem, as he sought to use these digital social\nspaces for a variety of purposes, not just activist practices. I focused only\non content related to the research questions and areas of focus in this paper. <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Data Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Computer-mediated discourse includes a myriad of disparate\nand interconnected communication threads shared on the Internet. Computer mediated\ndiscourse analysis (CMDA) is one approach to analyzing this content that is\nlanguage focused and supplemented by a constellation of different approaches (Alvesson &amp; K\u00e4rreman, 2011)\nderived from critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2013; Rahimi &amp; Riasati, 2011).\n&nbsp;DCOE served as a bridge between methods\nof data collection to analysis to help illuminate relations between texts, and\ntheir production and reception practices in digital, social spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This case study (as recommended by Yin, 2006) employed a\nqualitative CMDA approach to conduct a content analysis as guided by the\nresearch questions to make clear the opaque connections between language and\nsociety as tools in securing power. Herring (2004) recommended a focus on\nresearch that is \u201cempirically answerable from the available data\u201d (p. 346) as\nwell as being time-based, event-based, or participant-based. This research is\nparticipant-based as it focuses on the practices, texts, and habits of one\nindividual and themes that emerge from the data. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CMDA was applied to the dataset in the analysis of Facebook\nPosts, Facebook Live Videos, and other links and digital communication shared\nby Shakem. All social media content was collected in a Google spreadsheet to\nallow for data collection and analysis. These forms of discourse and\nintertextuality help inform how an activist uses digital tools, spaces, and\ntexts to understand hypertextuality, or content that refers to other content in\nother texts (Mitra, 1999). This series of interconnected texts was supplemented\nby interviews with Shakem, as well as Google searches on topics and areas of\ninterest identified by themes and patterns identified in the analysis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data analysis was inductive and ongoing, involving a\nrecursive process of reviewing data, writing notes, and creating analytical\nmemos to identify structural patterns and themes. I regularly and publicly\nshared some of these analytical memos as blog posts and distributed through my\nsocial media feeds in an attempt to obtain feedback and examine patterns and\nthemes at a deeper level (as recommended in Heap &amp; Minocha, 2012; Scanlon,\n2014). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through several cycles of content analysis (Krippendorff,\n2018) and these feedback loops of shared analytical memos, I reviewed my\nobservations to develop an in-depth understanding of the data. This review\nincluded social media and online posts, semistructured interviews, participant\nobservation in online spaces, and researcher notes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The process of analysis consisted of seven steps. First, I\nread the data set (interview data and Facebook Posts) twice to establish\nfamiliarity with the data. Data were read and\nreread, and initial codes were developed based on what was going on in the data\n(e.g., expressing narrative and pushing back against mainstream narratives). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, I examined and identified emergent trends in the\ndata that were related to the research questions using a repeated and iterative\nanalysis technique (Belkin, Brooks, &amp; Daniels, 1987). I then compared and\nrevised my individual analysis to identify categories and develop operational\ndefinitions of these codes. Codes were grouped\ntogether to identify overarching themes (Rivas, 2012). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I coded the data based on these operational definitions. The emerging themes were compared to a review of the\nliterature to ensure they were relevant to the research questions while also\nrelevant to the field. I then compared these analyses to other forms of\ndata collected in this study and the larger research project (i.e., interviews\nwith participants and researcher notes). Finally, I returned to the data to\nconfirm findings. Throughout this iterative\nprocess, three themes were identified as central to understanding the practices\nand texts used by activists in digital spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Findings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Through this study I sought to understand the practices of an activist as he utilized digital texts and tools for purposes of activism. The analysis was conducted to help inform and contextualize his work and the possible import for ELA teachers. As was suggested by Shakem in an interview, the main purpose of educators in relation to works of activists is to help their students contextualize the information, sources, and people in these incidents. In one of the interviews with Shakem, he said the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I think right now we are at a time in history that is going to bring about a change in society\u2014a revolutionary change. And I think those of us who are like you know\u2014doing this right here. I think the children are depending on us to tell the narrative. They\u2019re just observing an event. So they\u2019re observing an event and they\u2019re understanding what is going on, but I think it\u2019s up to people like us to but a context, a historical context on what\u2019s happening. Because they\u2019re looking and they\u2019re just kind of like, you know, like wow, you know, they know what\u2019s going on. They see it, they hear it, but they need some sort of context to it. So I believe what we can do now is to help form the narrative to put some sort of understanding behind what they\u2019re seeing. (October 28, 2017) <\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The results suggest through the interconnection of digital\ntexts, tools, and spaces, activists can use digital, social technologies for\nthree purposes: (a) to educate, (b) to empower, and (c) to advocate. <em>Educate<\/em> is defined as giving\nintellectual, moral, and social instruction to the self, another person, or\ngroup (Ladson-Billings &amp; Tate, 2016). <em>Empower<\/em>\nis defined as giving authority or power to the self, another individual, or a\ngroup to take action, become stronger, or more confident (Collins, 2000). <em>Advocate<\/em> is defined in this study as\npublicly supporting or recommending a particular cause or policy (Ginwright,\n2010; Sefton-Green, 2012).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These three elements are socially situated, cultural acts that work iteratively and are intertwined with one another. That is to say that individuals and groups may move quickly from one element to another, as the elements do not exist solely by themselves. Additionally, these habits and practices change, develop, and are modified as digital activists continue to develop and utilize new tools and practices. These elements also are modified as new, more progressive, and more digitally agile activists expand and push the horizons of the use of these digital, social technologies for activist purposes.&nbsp; &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The remainder of this findings section describes study\nexamples culled from the social network posts and interviews with Shakem. They\nare organized around the three goals in communication of the digital activist\n(educate, empower, and advocate) and modified by the movement from a focus on\nthe self, publics, or networked publics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Educate\n<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Educate<\/em> is defined as giving intellectual,\nmoral, or social instruction to the self, another person, or group. Educate\nalso means to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically by instruction.\nEducate can be viewed as persuading, arguing, or conditioning someone to feel,\nbelieve, or act in a desired capacity or manner. An example of Shakem using\ndigital, social technologies for the purposes of educating as a part of digital\nactivism is shown in his repeated attempts to describe his role as an activist\nand push back against false narratives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tensions have been simmering in the Charleston area after the murder of Walter Scott and the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME)&nbsp;  church shooting in 2015. During summer 2017, violent and racist acts like the events in Charlottesville, Virginia (Harold &amp; Nelson, 2018; Spencer, 2018), ratcheted up concerns that violence might also strike in the Charleston area. Cities across the South began debating the display of Confederate statues and flags across the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Activists like Shakem spoke up during these times to organize public debate in an attempt to build dialogue and prevent racially motivated violence. Some of this work also involved educating others on the reasons why he, and other activists, were marching. An example of this is shared in Figure 1 (see <a href=\"#appendix\">Appendix<\/a> for transcript of posts and social media entries). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"625\" height=\"457\" src=\"https:\/\/citejournal.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/v19i4English1Fig1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9083\"\/><figcaption><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. <em>Facebook status post by Shakem Amen Akhet on August 19, 2017.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the responses from Shakem pointed at the challenges and concern about the role of Confederate symbols in public spaces and contextualizing these elements by contrasting it with symbols as related to other groups (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017e). Of course these tactics to persuade, argue, or condition others many times is not easily accepted by all. Shakem noted in his interviews, and as noted by his multiple Facebook accounts that he is regularly \u201cbanned\u201d on Facebook for a period of time (i.e., 30 days) after being reported by others on the social network. Shakem also indicated that he often needs to be careful of what he says, protect himself, but also staying mindful of surveillance as complaints are made to law enforcement (e.g., the FBI), as opposed to filing a report on a social network (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017i).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In these activities, and as part of the research project, I have been interested in whether or not online discourse practices and activities lead to offline, physical danger or harm for individuals. As noted in earlier research in this project (O\u2019Byrne &amp; Hale, 2017), Shakem was questioned by the FBI for complaints made about him, and some of his rhetoric shared online (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017c), and on a Facebook Live video stream (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017b). This information raises questions about the risk and reward of including these activist literacies in the classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of this process, Shakem educated himself and used digital social tools to educate and inform others as to his plight. Other members of his social circles shared information about the recent identification and focus on \u201cBlack Identity Extremists\u201d by the FBI (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017d). As a response, Shakem broadcasted a flurry of Facebook Live videos (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017f, 2017g) about the \u201cfalse narrative\u201d that was being portrayed, and the intelligence assessment document from the FBI. At this time, Shakem also started using other digital tools (e.g., BlogTalkRadio) to host, share, and archive a talk show of sorts to encourage public participation, educate, and spread his narrative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, Shakem sees the value in his work educating the public, while at the same time also remaining surprisingly serene as he considers how his work helps impact his community as well as inner publics and those in networked spaces (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2017a, 2017e). One may see this as pushing back on social institutions, while at the same time perpetuating the harm narrative of young people of color in this country. This example, however, shows a member of the community speaking as an insider and sharing their narrative. Although some of his views may be seen as controversial, it is important to include them because narratives of individuals and communities that are often marginalized and whose histories have been neglected in most schools (as previously advocated by Haddix, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Empower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Empower is defined as giving authority or power to the\nself, another individual, or a group to take action, become stronger, or more\nconfident. This power may be to enable the self or others to control their own\nlives, claim rights, or promote self-actualization or influence. An example of\nShakem using digital, social technologies for the purposes of empowering as a\npart of digital activism is shown in his work fighting for the rights of youth\nas they are incarcerated for selling palmetto roses in the Charleston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A palmetto rose is made by folding the fronds of a palmetto\ntree to resemble a flower. Youth are often seen selling these handmade crafts\nin the streets of the Charleston area. Selling\npalmetto roses without a permit is a violation of City Code 17-109. The\nordinance was passed by City Council in 2007, according to a city press release\n<strong>[CITE AND REFERENCE THIS RELEASE]. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To receive\na permit, a child must have the signature of a parent or guardian and attend a\nweeklong business course. Under this ordinance, palmetto rose sellers must\ncomplete the training program to get a permit. People who receive the license\nmust wear a city-issued shirt during business hours and display their\ncertification badges while selling roses. The ordinance restricts sellers from\npeddling their products in popular, tourist friendly, downtown areas. For the\nmost part, the certified sellers are expected to do business from designated\nkiosks throughout downtown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The city haD been trying to identify a strategy to handle unlicensed peddlers when a 16-year-old was arrested and charged with illegally selling palmetto roses and resisting arrest near the City Market in Charleston. After the teen\u2019s arrest, activists in the Charleston area called on the City to end the ordinance requiring youth to obtain permits to sell palmetto roses in the downtown area. Protests were organized online and local activist groups, including ones organized by Shakem, planned local rallies to speak out against the ordinance. As shown in Figure 2, a Facebook post and video (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018h) shows Shakem and other activists bringing online discussion and protest to the streets and the offline spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"807\" src=\"https:\/\/citejournal.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/v19i4English1Fig2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9084\"\/><figcaption><strong>Figure 2. <\/strong><em>Facebook status post by Shakem Amen Akhet on July 14, 2018. Some faces in photos have been obfuscated. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These protests and rallies in the streets were accompanied by a flurry of calculated messages spread across digital and traditional print sources by Shakem and associates. These sources included press conferences held in front of City Hall that were covered by the local papers (Majchrowicz, 2018), as well as a series of Facebook Live Video streams held by Shakem (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018e, 2018f, 2018k). These sources were in addition to a series of posts in which he shared links from the news, text posts, and commentary on other social media feeds (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018d). These social media posts and use of Live video help digital activists like Shakem share their narrative and push back against dominant narratives shared by the mainstream media, national groups, and current powerholders in the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakem is not afraid to call out the hypocrisy of the situation or the racism embedded in the discussion and the things individuals \u201clike\u201d in social groups. He shared a social media post in which someone shared and supported the selling of lemonade by a young white child, whereas the same act resulted in a young black teen being arrested in the same area (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet 2018i). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakem also shared a recent collection of images and news stories about the local skatepark that was built in an attempt to provide a space for youth to hang out (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018j). In this post, he indicated the potential dangers that might exist if local leaders did not take the time and expense to provide for all youth in the area (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018j; 2018l). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This work was shared in digital spaces and when individuals showed up for offline protests were captured and edited into a video by Black Collective, a Charleston-based digital media company focused on creating content that shares African-American news, stories, and perspectives. The digital media group edited this video that was shared via social networks to document the voices and narratives involved in this debate (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018m). These networked texts and practices identified opportunities for educators and youth to freely exchange information and create and share content they believed is meaningful (as also in Muhammad &amp; Womack, 2016)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakem closed this chapter of the debate about the palmetto rose controversy by indicating that he needed to straddle this area between developing lesson plans or teaching class, and \u201cpissing off business owners and tourists\u201d to stand up for the rights of youth (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018n, 2018o). (See Figure 3.) He indicated that, if youth cannot make money on the market, \u201cthen we will crash the local economy and REALLY give them something to complain about\u201d (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018o). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, Shakem used digital spaces to reshape\nnarratives to reflect the perspectives of youth who are routinely marginalized\nor silenced (as defined by Price-Dennis, 2016). In this process, he narrated\ntheir story, while also recontextualizing dominant narratives to serve as\ndisruption of inequalities in society (see also Haddix et al., 2015;\nStornaiuolo &amp; Thomas 2017).&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"549\" height=\"873\" src=\"https:\/\/citejournal.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/v19i4English1Fig3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9085\"\/><figcaption><strong>Figure 3.<\/strong> <em>Facebook status post by Shakem Amen Akhet on July 20, 2018. Some faces in photos have been obfuscated. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Advocate\n<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Advocate<\/em> is defined as publicly supporting or\nrecommending a particular cause or policy, which includes pleading the cause or\ninterests of the self, another individual, or a group. An example of the use of\ndigital tools and spaces to engage in acts of advocacy is shown in Shakem\u2019s\nwork in the classroom and the development of the Muhiyyidin d\u2019Baha Leadership\nAcademy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article began with a quotation from Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha\nin an interview (Waters, 2017) as he shared guidance on activism and\neffectively organizing in order to address local problems. d\u2019Baha went on to\ndescribe an infrastructure in which individuals build on needs, organize, raise\nawareness, focus on local area folks, center voices of women, and build from\nthe community-level up. The interview also shared some insightful guidance on\nconnecting the online, digital conversations to real-world action in the\nstreets: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong><em>Online vs. Reality: <\/em><\/strong>What we&#8217;re doing is we&#8217;re exploring a new way of communicating and a new way of organizing in which we organize virtually. We want to express in physical reality then we want to bring that expression back into virtual reality to reflect on and to have that generate some more energy so we can express it in physical reality. There is a dance there that we&#8217;re learning how to do so we don&#8217;t get caught up in the social media world because in the social media world we can have 3,500 people that are coming to an event and we can have 100,000 people that have watched a video. But when it comes to a city council meeting to actually push the work forward, it&#8217;s hard getting people to come out.<strong> <\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This philosophy of organizing from \u201cthe block up\u201d is detailed fully in a Blockbuilder website (<a href=\"http:\/\/blockbuilder.yolasite.com\">http:\/\/blockbuilder.yolasite.com<\/a>) that describes a curriculum focused on \u201cstrengthening cooperative youth enterprises with a vision of nurturing their ideals and awakening their dreams into reality.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha, also known as Muhiyidin Moye, was a leading Black Lives Matter activist in the local Charleston area and across the southeastern United States. d\u2019Baha has been described as having an \u201cactivist\u2019s virtues\u201d (Cobb, 2018). d\u2019Baha \u201cpossessed a restless intelligence and an impatience with a corrupted racial status quo and something bordering on contempt for those who had brokered or tolerated such a bad deal in the first place\u201d (Cobb, 2018, para. 4). d\u2019Baha\u2019s plan to build from the block up can be seen in the development of the Muhiyidin d&#8217;Baha Leadership Academy, an afternoon learning program centered in nearby Summerville, South Carolina. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one of the leaders of the development of the d\u2019Baha Leadership Academy, Shakem indicated that he had frequent talks with d\u2019Baha about the need to provide a space where \u201cblack kids can learn about themselves and other black kids\u201d (Manno, 2017, para. 13). The curriculum at the d\u2019Baha Leadership Academy would build on the curriculum developed and disseminated by d\u2019Baha on his website, but was also guided by work Shakem conducted in schools around the Charleston region. This \u201cblueprint for liberation\u201d is detailed in a post from Shakem shown in Figure 4 (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018a).&nbsp;&nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1094\" height=\"658\" src=\"https:\/\/citejournal.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/v19i4English1Fig4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9086\"\/><figcaption><strong>Figure 4.<\/strong> <em>Facebook status post by Shakem Amen Akhet on June 22, 2018. Some faces in photos have been obfuscated. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As detailed on his network of Facebook posts, Live Videos, and content regularly shared online, Shakem is a frequent visitor and volunteer at schools in the Charleston area (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018n; 2017h). In one post (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018c), he said,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>I started out a mere protester screaming, \u201cNo Justice, No Peace!\u201d on the frontlines of civil unrest. Bullhorns blazing through angry crowds of people with signs, we envisioned change in a system that threatened our mere existence as inhabitants in this nation. Even though I was energized and had fun being the \u201cbad guy,\u201d I realized I couldn&#8217;t live my whole life that way. Now I embark on the greatest path of revolution and change, in the classroom. I love teaching children and giving them the tools they need to be successful in life!! It&#8217;s easier to raise powerful children than to repair broken men.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In interviews with Shakem, he said that he valued this time in the schools so he could talk with youth and guide them to not make the mistakes he made. He has the gravitas and experience to present these messages. He leverages his role and these perspectives to inspire youth to actively engage in their education, understand societal power structures, and identify opportunities to challenge or disrupt these systems (as described in Johnson et al., 2014).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shakem said that he learns from his work as an activist and brings this into his work as an educator as he creates spaces and opportunities to advocate for youth. In a Facebook post, he said that he learns from his supporters and critics and ultimately uses what he learns to inform his work in and out of the classroom, online, and in the streets (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018b). Shakem spoke these same sentiments in interviews, as was documented in earlier research in this project (O\u2019Byrne &amp; Hale, 2018). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, Shakem said that the other lenses of work as an activist using digital tools (i.e., educate and empower) connect to this work as an advocate. In a post he said that they will go \u201cFULL FORCE,\u201d and \u201cZERO TOLERANCE\u201d will be shown as they advocate for and seek to empower their children (see <a href=\"#app\">Appendix<\/a>, Akhet, 2018g). In these activities, Shakem identified opportunities for youth and educators to engage in participatory spaces to promote societal change and reshape narratives to reflect perspectives that are routinely marginalized or silenced (as described in Picower, 2011; Price-Dennis, 2016).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Implications\nfor ELA Teachers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Digital tools and networked social spaces have shown\nopportunities for individuals to provide counternarration to mainstream\ncontexts. Activists have skillfully utilized these spaces, texts, and tools to\npush for change, social justice education, and civic action. This research\nsuggests an opportunity to educate, empower, and advocate as educators bring\nthese practices and texts into ELA classrooms (Haddix et al., 2015; McArthur,\n2016). This opportunity can provide contexts for these texts, support and\namplify the voices of students, or speak out and advocate for teachers and\ntheir classrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As activists work to mobilize the public, document\nactivities and injustices, and spread information to a wider audience, youth\nare watching and learning from these events. Educators also must question what\nimpact these practices and texts have in their classroom. This study focused on\nthe work of one activist in order to provide insight for pedagogy in the ELA\nclassroom. Several lessons can be learned from this study that have specific\nimport to the ELA classroom and teacher development for these spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, identity and privilege need to be discussed and problematized in the ELA classroom (Blackburn, 2003). As the racial composition of teachers in the United States is predominantly white (US Department of Education, 2016), the first step for white teachers is to unpack and continuously learn to uncover the privilege which is so often taken for granted (Picower, 2009). Teachers must simultaneously educate themselves on the histories of numerous communities of color and indigenous or immigrant communities whose histories have been neglected in most schools (Haddix, 2016; Ladson-Billings, 2006). Teachers can draw from critical pedagogy (Duncan-Andrade &amp; Morrell, 2008; Freire 1970), multicultural education (Banks, 1995), and culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Social\njustice education (Au, 2009; Cammarota, 2011) helps\ncultivate understanding for diverse individuals and perspectives as educators\nmay bring narratives from marginalized communities or identities into the\nclassroom. As an example, the text <em>White Fragility: Why It&#8217;s So Hard for White\nPeople to Talk About Racism <\/em>(DiAngelo, 2018), was frequently referenced in\ninterviews with many of the digital activists and shared as a resource within\ntheir Facebook group. As educators build the dispositions necessary to\ncontextualize and work to enact social change (Alsup\n&amp; Miller, 2014), honest discussions around implicit bias and deep histories\nof harm that marginalized youth and entire communities is needed before\nexamining these texts and practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, educators can begin to\nnetwork with other socially conscious teachers who can support furthered\nawareness and community members who are connected and activated in the\ncommunities in which teachers serve. Acts of digital activism move along\na continuum that moves from <em>self<\/em> to <em>publics<\/em> to <em>networked publics<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Self<\/em> is defined as the individual or\noriginator of the communication or practices. Focus on educating, empowering,\nand advocating for self before worrying about others. <em>Publics<\/em> identify a community of individuals\nwho share \u201ca common understanding of the world,\na shared identity, a claim to inclusiveness, a consensus regarding the\ncollective interest\u201d (Livingstone, 2005, p. 9). Publics may include\nlocalized connections in a community, including friends known locally, or issue\npublics (Tremayne, Zheng, Lee, &amp; Jeong, 2006). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Networked publics<\/em> extend this continuum from the self\nbeyond local connections and affinity spaces (Kim, 2016) as found in publics\nbut are reshaped and restructured by the space, tools, and people (boyd, 2010).\nNetworked publics include an interconnected set of practices that include\nsociocultural as well as technological elements that are modified as advances\ncome in digital, social technologies (Bonk &amp; King, 2012). As teachers\neducate, empower, and advocate, they can start with the individual and then\nmove to the local level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, as indicated by the opening quotation\nto this publication from Muhiyidin D&#8217;baha, start with understanding and\nconnecting the local before moving to the global. As the focus on audience extends out from the self to\npublics to networked publics, the opportunity to enact change and have one\u2019s\nnarrative heard is lessened over time. The Internet and other communication\ntechnologies provide opportunities to broadcast a narrative for a variety of purposes\n(educate, empower, and advocate). It does not guarantee a receptive audience,\nhowever (Papacharissi, 2008). Ability to reach an audience may\nnot scale up as teachers speak to networked publics. Furthermore, the ultimate\nmessage received may not be what was intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fourth, a risk assessment should be\nconducted before bringing these activist practices and texts into the ELA\nclassroom. Educators must ask how they will be supported by colleagues,\nadministrators, parents, and students if they engage in these activities. Significant\nattention may be attracted from others as the ELA educator agrees to engage\nwith this content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even as educators and their students are\nthoughtful, vigilant, and circumspect about getting involved in these spaces,\nthere is the chance that mistakes will be made. Due to the nature of digital\ninformation, these missteps will be documented and digitally archived for all\nto review. Critics may also take intentions, content, and narrative out of\ncontext in an attempt to smear or harass the author. Risk and reward is\ninvolved when engaging in these practices and with these texts. These\nsituations may also be an important teaching moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, understand and use digital tools\nand online spaces wisely. Teachers should protect themselves and be thoughtful\nas they build a digital identity for themselves and their students. They must\nconscious and savvy about their use of privacy and security in the use of these\ndigital texts and tools. They must focus on mental health and offline connections\nto remain balanced as they work to enact change and push for social justice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The continual highs and lows of emotions\nwere present in the social media posts shared by Shakem. Shakem indicated in\ninterviews and social media posts that family and friends were the most\nimportant, and at times e needed to unplug and spend time with loved ones to\nrecharge emotional reservoirs. <strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In this study, I examined the ways in which an activist leveraged digital technologies to work toward positive social change (as defined by Ellison et al., 2007; Haddix &amp; Sealey-Ruiz, 2012). I opened this article with a quotation from Muhiyidin d\u2019Baha, an activist from the Charleston area, to call attention to the need to focus on work at the grassroots level and to be descriptive before moving to the prescriptive and opportunities to use digital spaces, to document and address inequalities.  This mindset is echoed in interviews with Shakem, as he frequently referenced the need to talk and continue the dialogue with others, even when it is hard to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> This point was hammered home in an interview in which he indicated that debate, protest, and perhaps even violence were ultimately a positive, as they have spurred much-needed dialogue.&nbsp;Perhaps these counterspaces and counternarratives allow individuals to come together and have tough discussions about tough topics. Perhaps these moments also provide opportunities to heal locally and globally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though difficult at times, perhaps these discussions\nhave the potential to prepare youth to engage and <em>restory<\/em> societal power\nstructures for the purpose of personal and social transformation \u2013 opportunities\nto have tough discussions that society usually never has around issues of\nracism, religious intolerance, sexual assault, misogyny, and xenophobia, as\nwell as a disregard for science and the environment \u2013 opportunities for\neducators to educate, empower, and advocate for youth as digitally literate,\ncritically conscious citizens.<strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Alsup, J., &amp; Miller, S. J. (2014). Reclaiming English\neducation: Rooting social justice in dispositions. <em>English Education<\/em>, <em>46<\/em>(3),\n195-215.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alvermann, D. E. (2011). 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In A. Chadwick &amp; P. N.&nbsp; Howard (Eds.) <em>Routledge handbook of Internet politics<\/em> (pp. 246-261). New York, NY: Routledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Parsons, T. (1937). <em>The\nstructure of social action<\/em>. New York, NY: Free Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picazo-Vela, S., Guti\u00e9rrez-Mart\u00ednez, I., &amp; Luna-Reyes, L.\nF. (2012). Understanding risks, benefits, and strategic alternatives of social\nmedia applications in the public sector. <em>Government Information Quarterly<\/em>,\n<em>29<\/em>(4), 504-511.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picower, B. (2009).\nThe unexamined whiteness of teaching: How white teachers maintain and enact dominant racial ideologies. <em>Race Ethnicity and\nEducation<\/em>, <em>12<\/em>(2), 197-215.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picower, B. (2011).\nResisting compliance: Learning to teach for social justice in a neoliberal context. <em>Teachers College\nRecord<\/em>, <em>113<\/em>(5), 1105-1134.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Price-Dennis, D.\n(2016). Developing curriculum to support Black girls&#8217; literacies in digital spaces. <em>English Education<\/em>, <em>48<\/em>(4), 337.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rahimi, F., &amp;\nRiasati, M. J. (2011). Critical discourse analysis: Scrutinizing\nideologically-driven discourses. <em>International Journal of Humanities and Social Science<\/em>, <em>1<\/em>(16),\n107-112.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rheingold, H. (2008).\nUsing participatory media and public voice to encourage civic engagement. In W. L. Bennett (Ed.) <em>Civic life online: Learning\nhow digital media can engage youth.<\/em> (pp. 97-118).\nCambridge, MA: The MIT Press. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rivas, C. (2012).\nCoding and analyzing qualitative data. <em>Researching Society and Culture<\/em>, <em>3<\/em>,\n367-392.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robertson, S. P.\n(2018). Social Media and civic engagement: History, theory, and practice. <em>Synthesis\nLectures on Human-Centered Informatics<\/em>, <em>11<\/em>(2), i-123.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Routledge, P. (2003).\nConvergence space: process geographies of grassroots globalization networks. <em>Transactions\nof the Institute of British Geographers<\/em>, <em>28<\/em>(3), 333-349.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ryan,\nJ. (2016). Strategic activism, educational leadership and social justice. <em>International <\/em><em>Journal\nof Leadership in Education<\/em>, <em>19<\/em>(1),\n87-100.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Salmela-Aro, K.,\nUpadyaya, K., Hakkarainen, K., Lonka, K., &amp; Alho, K. (2017). The dark side\nof internet use: Two longitudinal studies of excessive internet use, depressive\nsymptoms, school burnout and engagement among Finnish early and late\nadolescents. <em>Journal of Youth and Adolescence<\/em>, <em>46<\/em>(2), 343-357.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Scanlon, E. (2014).\nScholarship in the digital age: Open educational resources, publication and public engagement. <em>British Journal of\nEducational Technology<\/em>, <em>45<\/em>(1), 12-23<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sefton-Green, J. (2012). <em>Learning at\nnot-school: A review of study, theory, and advocacy for education in non-formal\nsettings<\/em>. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shaw, R. (2013). <em>The\nactivist&#8217;s handbook: Winning social change in the 21st century<\/em>. Berkeley,\nCA: University of California Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Simon, R., &amp;\nCampano, G. (2013). Activist literacies: Teacher research as resistance to the\n\u201cnormal curve.\u201d <em>Journal of\nLanguage and Literacy Education, 9<\/em>(1), 21-39.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sivitanides, M.,\n&amp; Shah, V. (2011). The era of digital activism. <em>Conference for\nInformation Systems Applied Research (CONISAR) Proceedings, 4<\/em>(1842), 1-8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slocum, A., Hathaway, R., &amp; Bernstein, M. (2018). Striking signs: The diverse discourse of the 2018 West Virginia teachers&#8217; strike. <em>English Education<\/em>, <em>50<\/em>(4), 365-374.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Spencer, H. (2018).&nbsp;<em>Summer of hate: Charlottesville, USA<\/em>.&nbsp;Charlottesville, VA:&nbsp;University of Virginia Press.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Staples, L. (2016). <em>Roots\nto power: A manual for grassroots organizing: A manual for grassroots\norganizing<\/em>. Westport, CT: Praeger, Publishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Steier, R. (Ed.).\n(1991). <em>Research and reflexivity.<\/em> London, UK: Sage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stornaiuolo, A.,\n&amp; Thomas, E. E. (2017). Disrupting educational inequalities through youth digital activism. <em>Review of Research in\nEducation<\/em>, <em>41<\/em>(1), 337-357.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stornaiuolo, A.,\n&amp; Thomas, E. E. (2018). Restorying as political action: Authoring\nresistance through youth media arts. <em>Learning, Media and Technology<\/em>, <em>43<\/em>(4),\n345-358.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas, A. (2017). <em>The\nhate U Give<\/em>. New York, NY: Harper\nCollins Publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thomas, E. E., &amp;\nStornaiuolo, A. (2016). Restorying the self: Bending toward textual justice. <em>Harvard\nEducational Review<\/em>, <em>86<\/em>(3), 313-338.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tremayne, M., Zheng,\nN., Lee, J. K., &amp; Jeong, J. (2006). Issue publics on the web: Applying\nnetwork theory to the war blogosphere. <em>Journal of Computer-Mediated\nCommunication<\/em>, <em>12<\/em>(1), 290-310.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turner, K. H.,\nAbrams, S. S., Kat\u00edc, E., &amp; Donovan, M. J. (2014). Demystifying digitalk:\nThe what and why of the language teens use in digital writing. <em>Journal of Literacy\nResearch<\/em>, <em>46<\/em>(2), 157-193.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US Department of\nEducation. (2016). The state of racial diversity in the educator workforce.\nRetrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www2.ed.gov\/rschstat\/eval\/highered\/racial-diversity\/state-racial-diversity-workforce.pdf\">https:\/\/www2.ed.gov\/rschstat\/eval\/highered\/racial-diversity\/state-racial-diversity-workforce.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Van der Nagel, E.,\n&amp; Frith, J. (2015). Anonymity, pseudonymity, and the agency of online\nidentity: Examining the social practices of r\/Gonewild. <em>First Monday<\/em>, <em>20<\/em>(3).\nAvailable at <a href=\"https:\/\/ojphi.org\/ojs\/index.php\/fm\/article\/view\/5615\/4346\">https:\/\/ojphi.org\/ojs\/index.php\/fm\/article\/view\/5615\/4346<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Van Laer, J., &amp; Van Aelst, P. (2010). Internet and social movement\naction repertoires: Opportunities and limitations. <em>Information, Communication\n&amp; Society<\/em>, <em>13<\/em>(8), 1146-1171.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Waters, D. (2017,\nApril 12). Advice on organizing from Black Lives Matter Charleston&#8217;s Muhiyidin\nd&#8217;Baha. <em>Charleston City Paper<\/em>. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.charlestoncitypaper.com\/charleston\/advice-on-organizing-from-black-lives-matter-charlestons-muhiyidin-dbaha\/Content?oid=7634440\">https:\/\/www.charlestoncitypaper.com\/charleston\/advice-on-organizing-from-black-lives-matter-charlestons-muhiyidin-dbaha\/Content?oid=7634440<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Wenger, E. (1999). <em>Communities\nof practice: Learning, meaning, and identity<\/em>. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge\nUniversity Press.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Westheimer, J., &amp;\nKahne, J. (2004). What kind of citizen? The politics of educating for\ndemocracy. <em>American Educational Research Journal<\/em>, <em>41<\/em>(2), 237-269.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yang, G. (2016).\nNarrative agency in hashtag activism: The case of #BlackLivesMatter. <em>Media and Communication<\/em>, <em>4<\/em>(4), 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yin, R. K. (2006).\nCase study methods. <em>Handbook of Complementary Methods in Education Research<\/em>, <em>3<\/em>, 111-122.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"app\">Appendix<br>Transcripts of Shakem\u2019s Posts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017a,\nAugust 19). Dear white people, thanks for taking down statues but this isn&#8217;t\nour agenda, it&#8217;s YOUR beef in response to Donald Trump. As a very respected and\ndedicated community leader, the REAL black agenda deals with:1).\nEDUCATION&#8230;Our schools are [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1649230018455105\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1649230018455105<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017b,\nSeptember 26). The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in Mt. Pleasant, SC came\nlooking for me today. The targeting of political activists. [Video file].\nRetrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1684510121593761\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1684510121593761\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017c,\nOctober 2). &#8230;&#8230;And the FBI had the nerve to question me last Tuesday about\ndomestic terrorism. Smdh. [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1689354721109301\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1689354721109301<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017d,\nOctober 6). FBI releases report on BIE (Black Identity Extremist) likely to target\nLaw enforcement officers. https:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/\u2026\/4067711\u2026 [Video file].\nRetrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1693728454005261\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1693728454005261\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017e,\nOctober 16). Question for White America&#8230;How would you feel if your<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>child&#8217;s High School in\na white neighborhood was named after Elijah Muhammad who referred to the\nwhiteman as the devil? How would you like it if we erected a statue [Facebook\nstatus update]. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1702851496426290<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017f,\nOctober 17). Call in NOW 657-383-1653 press 1 to speak. The FBI Exposed. The\nfalse narrative of the Black Identity Extremist. [Video file]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1704237089621064\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1704237089621064\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017g,\nOctober 20). FBI Black Identity Extremists Intelligence Document. [Video file].\nRetrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1707220902656016\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1707220902656016\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017h,\nOctober 24). Leadership is about empowering others to be leaders. Give them an\nopportunity and let them spread their wings and fly. I love being in the\nclassroom!! [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=1710732622304844\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=1710732622304844<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2017i,\nDecember 23). I BLOCK ANYONE who comes on my page with the kill whitey\/pigs\nrhetoric flashing profile pictures of Khalid Muhammad with an AR-15 talking\nabout they are preparing for the revolution. We have to be wise family. The FBI\nprobably [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1772070816171024\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/1772070816171024<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018a,\nJune 22). I still question God as to why. He was too young to die. Too kind and\ncaring to be taken carelessly. Too focused and driven to be murdered so\nwrecklesly. An intelligent mind and a gift of speech that was [Facebook status\nupdate]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2056391121352214\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2056391121352214<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018b,\nJune 29). Everyday I strive to make myself a better educator. It&#8217;s EXTREMELY\ndifficult and new to me. I thank all my supporters and critics. I really\nappreciate those who volunteer their FREE time to help do reading assignments\nand donate resources. [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2063386933985966\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2063386933985966<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018c,\nJuly 1, 2018). I started out a mere protester screaming, &#8220;No Justice, No\nPeace!&#8221; on the frontlines of civil unrest. Bullhorns blazing through angry\ncrowds of people with signs, we envisioned change in a system that threatened\nour mere existence as inhabitants in [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2065199500471376\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2065199500471376<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018d,\nJuly 5). The world is watching again Charleston! You apologized for slavery\nthen lock up young boys for selling $2 Roses to tourists while whites make\nBILLIONS off the horrible history of slavery through tourism. [Facebook status\nupdate]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ShakemAmenhotep\/posts\/2069387263385933\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ShakemAmenhotep\/posts\/2069387263385933<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018e,\nJuly 8). MESSAGE TO MAYOR TECKLENBURG AND CITY &nbsp;COUNCIL. We will shutdown the 9 billion dollar\ntourist industry in defense of young, black children who are harassed by CPD\nfor selling Roses. Charleston is rich due to the exploitation of the legacy of\nslavery. [Video file]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1999583703419733\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/1999583703419733\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018f,\nJuly 9). Saturday, July 14th, 4pm We will set off a series of demonstrations at\nthe &#8220;Slave Market&#8221; and then Charleston City Hall. We will stand up\nfor our future generation and NOT let them fall in the hands of the enemy.\n[Video file]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/2001132223264881\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/2001132223264881\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018g,\nJuly 10). I&#8217;m letting it be known to ALL parents, future parents. Students <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>and future students at\nthe Muhiyidin D&#8217;baha Leadership Academy. If ANY student is done wrong or faces\nany injustice in society in any way, we will go FULL FORCE [Facebook status\nupdate]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2002228306488606\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2002228306488606<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018h,\nJuly 14). Not only did we get the message out to a lot of people in the area,\nwe helped the young boys down there sell out of their Palmetto Roses they sold.\nPeople were supporting them like crazy. We rallied for [Facebook status\nupdate]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2008668709177899?__tn__=-R\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2008668709177899?__tn__=-R<\/a>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018i,\nJuly 15). This was posted today in a group. When two white little girls sell\nlemonade in Downtown Charleston it&#8217;s sooo cute and they are warmly referred to\nas &#8220;local businesses&#8221;. Black kids sell Roses downtown Charleston they\nare referred to as [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2009997842378319&amp;set=a.142045565840232&amp;type=3&amp;theater\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2009997842378319&amp;set=a.142045565840232&amp;type=3&amp;theater<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018j,\nJuly 17). I will be down at Charleston City Council meeting this evening to\nconfront Mayor Tecklenburg and Council members about their discriminatory\npolicies against black youth who are making money trying to be entrepreneurs\nselling Palmetto Roses. We CANNOT allow our [Facebook status update]. Retrieved\nfrom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2012823432095760\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2012823432095760<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018k,\nJuly 18). Time to clear the air!!!. [Video file]. Retrieved from &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/2014734171904686\/\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/videos\/2014734171904686\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018l,\nJuly 18). Luckily those kids are down there selling Palmetto Roses to tourists.\nThey could be down there pulling the Glock .45 out on the tourists. City of\nCharleston needs to count there blessings. [Facebook status update]. Retrieved\nfrom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2014170141961089\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2014170141961089<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018m,\nJuly 20). ****PLEASE DO ME A FAVOR**** Watch this clip!!! [Facebook status\nupdate]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2018088708235899\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2018088708235899<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018n,\nJuly 20). When I&#8217;m not in the classroom teaching the youth, I&#8217;m out here in the\nstreets advocating on their behalf to make money without being harassed by law enforcement.\nWe will be on the Market again tomorrow at 4pm. BULLHORNS BLAZING [Facebook\nstatus update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2017708951607208\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/shakem.akhet\/posts\/2017708951607208<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Akhet, S. A. (2018o,\nJuly 21). Man, I pissed off so many business owners and tourists last week. They\nwere calling the police department left and right. Unfortunately, they couldn&#8217;t\ndo anything about it because it was legal. I informed the carriage riders that\nthey were [Facebook status update]. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2019335331444570\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/photo.php?fbid=2019335331444570<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div><p id=\"pvc_stats_9082\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"9082\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon small\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" data-prefix=\"far\" data-icon=\"chart-bar\" role=\"img\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\" class=\"svg-inline--fa fa-chart-bar fa-w-16 fa-2x\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M396.8 352h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V108.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v230.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm-192 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V140.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v198.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zm96 0h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8V204.8c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v134.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8zM496 400H48V80c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16H16C7.16 64 0 71.16 0 80v336c0 17.67 14.33 32 32 32h464c8.84 0 16-7.16 16-16v-16c0-8.84-7.16-16-16-16zm-387.2-48h22.4c6.4 0 12.8-6.4 12.8-12.8v-70.4c0-6.4-6.4-12.8-12.8-12.8h-22.4c-6.4 0-12.8 6.4-12.8 12.8v70.4c0 6.4 6.4 12.8 12.8 12.8z\" class=\"\"><\/path><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"https:\/\/citejournal.org\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p><div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first one I think is most helpful is don&#8217;t prescribe unless you can describe. It&#8217;s really learning about how to describe the impact of a policy decision or the impact of a situation from a first-person perspective. 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