Mutale Nkonde

PhD thesis: TBC

My current research focuses on the impact of toxic online Christian inspired ideologies on the political attitudes and behavior of African American men. This study started in 2015 during the first reported targeting of Black social audiences by the Internet Research Agency, a Russian based social media marketing firm that spent $100,000 on Facebook ads encouraging Black voters not to vote. Since 1965 the Republican Party has never secured more than 15% of the Black vote.  However, in 2016 18% of Black men voted for Trump, in 2020 this increased to 20% of Black men voting for Trump and there is a concerted effort to court the votes of rappers and other high profile Black men in 2024. My study seeks to understand the role online discourse had on this trend.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

My research is inspired by two incidents. The first is the 2017 US Intelligence Report that found African American social media audiences were targeted by Russian disinformation agents more than any other group. Left me wondering why this deeply marginalised and villainised group were central to this campaign. And the growing numbers of Black men voting for Donald Trump, who while President, described countries in Africa and the Caribbean as “sh*thole countries”. Made me wonder why Black American men are showing increasing support a candidate that held Black people with such low regard.