1. ABSTRACT
This study explores the role of humor as it is utilized by Black Twitter community
members on the social media site Twitter. As the number of self-identified black
individuals and those claiming connection to the black community using Twitter grows,
an online community known as “Black Twitter” has emerged. As a counterpublic, Black
Twitter provides a virtual space for the black community to use their often marginalized
voices to create their own narrative through stories, criticisms, and conversation. Using a
mixed-methods approach, this study engages an analysis of Black Twitter through a
content analysis to better understand this counterpublic, and a thematic analysis of tweets
with a specific focus on the use of black humor. This study situates black humor as a
practice of social critique, resistance and signifying culture. Additionally, black humor
ranges from everyday talk and experiences, to social justice uprisings, to disparities in
racial relations. The findings from this study suggest that Black Twitter users create
original, authentic content and employ humor as a performative way to convey multiple
yet shared realities of social identity.