ON(LINE) TRANSPARENCY AND THE BLACK PUBLIC SPHERE

In the past several decades, Black publics have increasingly employeddigital technologies to advance Black liberation movements, culture, and joy. Thisproliferation of Black publics online has prompted many scholars to ask whether the internetas a tool ultimately works to the benefit or detriment of marginal publics. Proponents ofinternet technology cite the aforementioned growth of these discursive communities online aswell as their success in organizing demonstrations and producing independent media. Criticsof the internet argue that its construction by powerful institutions forecloses thepossibility of it being used to truly challenge those institutions. This essay seeks tocontribute to this discussion not by advocating for one side or another but exploring theways in which these two literatures may be inclusive. It does so by putting the theoreticalconstruct of the Black public in conversation with an oft-discussed digital affordance:transparency. It first outlines the historical relationship between the two, noting both thethreats and opportunities that transparency has created for Black publics. It moves on todiscuss the forces of the state and the market that built transparency into theinfrastructure of the internet. It then synthesizes the histories of Black publics and theinternet by discussing how the historical threats and opportunities of transparency areimpacting Black publics online. Finally, this paper concludes with some thoughts on the ideathat digital technology might simultaneously aid and harm marginal publics, particularlywith regard to its implications for digital strategy.