The “Angry Black Woman”: How Race, Gender, and American Politics Influenced User Discourse Surrounding the Jemele Hill Controversy

Abstract

On September 11, 2017, ESPN’s Jemele Hill tweeted that United States President Donald Trump was a “white supremacist.” Online reaction was swift and divided. The purpose of this study was to analyze how people were discussing the incident on Facebook using the theoretical lens of framing. Results demonstrate that discussions devolved into stereotypical tropes and uncivil discourse. Ultimately, Hill’s race and gender became as much of a topic of contention as did her comments about Trump. This finding suggests that many Facebook users are willing and able to use an intersectional approach to discussing the incident.