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Paper short abstract:

Drawing on empirical evidence from social movements in Africa since 2010, I discuss the impact of digital primary sources on historical documentation to argue that social media offers unique perspectives and reliable records of these events, contributing to the preservation of African oral histories

Paper long abstract:

The potential for digital scholarship in African Studies is an important topic, particularly the use of social media to document contemporary social movements in Africa. This raises the question of whether there is a promising future for such digital scholarship endeavors in the field and how social media can be utilized to engender a deeper historiographical and methodological awareness of them as primary sources. Digging through several social media platforms and using empirical evidence from social movements across Africa since 2010, I discuss the impact of digital primary sources on the historical documentation of these movements. I argue that digital platforms provide African historians and scholars with a trove of raw materials that offer unique perspectives on these movements. The ability of social media to instantaneously capture and preserve real-time content means that researchers are provided with a reliable record of these events, allowing for a nuanced exploration of their societal impact and facilitating the digital preservation and documentation of African oral histories. Additionally, their integration as primary sources for social movements has also transformed the way historical information is accessed, bringing about a democratization of historical narratives, offering spaces for literary and textual experimentation, creating new identities, and amplifying previously marginalized voices and perspectives. In conclusion, I emphasize the need to approach social media critically as sources, considering their limitations as well as the opportunities they present, just as we would with other primary sources in African history.

Keywords: Social media, Africa, social movements, protests, primary sources, African studies