Digitally Witnessing Police Brutality: Examining the Relationship Between Police Violence, Race, and Affect in the Age of Social Media

Police brutality has recently become a popular topic following the summer of 2020. However, long before this time, police brutality and black trauma specifically had been explored by many others. With the emergence of social media, the exhibition of black bodies in trauma has been a sight for public gathering and debates. Previous research has shown us the inconsistencies that exist between the treatment of black and white bodies who experience violence in general. With that being said, this study aims to explore the intersections of race, police violence, and affect in the digital space. By comparatively analyzing online commentary left under two racially different cases (Philando Castile and Daniel Shaver), one will begin to understand how a victim's race influences how others affectively respond to them and their deaths. In doing this, discussions around narrative reconstruction, racial stereotypes, and the power of sound and imagery will all become relevant.