(Hash)tagging intersection(ality): Black and Palestinian experiences on Twitter

Abstract

In this article, we examine how Twitter users discuss intersections of the Black American and Palestinian experience in 2021 through the lens of intersectionality. We explore two questions; how is intersectionality discussed and performed by Twitter users in relation to the Palestinian and Black experience against the backdrop of this particular crisis in Gaza? And how do users engage with the language of intersectionality to either reify, contradict, or complicate the intersection of the Palestinian and Black experiences on the platform? We find that intersectionality is mediated by elite users via branded communication, as well as invoked to highlight or deny the intersections of the Black and Palestinian experience by the most peripheral users on the platform.