Brittany Linus, Class of 2024

Majoring in AAAS has allowed me to critically engage with the question: "What is Black technology?" Through class discussions, community engagement projects, and academic research, I explored Black interactions with and contributions to the development of digital technology, ecosystems, and the fandoms that thrive because of them. AAAS courses honed my understanding of Black digital rhetoric, teaching me to appreciate how every method of digital expression can declare, affirm, and protect one's Blackness. These explorations culminated in my creative honors thesis: a multidimensional exploration of the impact Black video gameplay styles have on digital landscapes. The greatest gift AAAS has given me is its holistic support—nurturing my multiplicity as a scholar, artist, and gamer. Through AAAS, I learned that knowledge is not just an institutional product, but a personal and communal process of reaching toward oneself to connect with others more intimately.

-Brittany