Ananda Collins, PhD Candidate
Ananda is a Ph.D. candidate at Syracuse University whose work lies at the intersection of race, language, and political communication, diving into the rich dynamics of Ebonics, African American Vernacular English (AAVE), and its influence on engaging in political discussions.
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At the heart of her work is a very real and critical question: How do we engage apolitical Black folks from the hoods and the ghettos in meaningful political discussions and actions to create systematic change?
And, more importantly, how can we make politics unapologetically BLACK?
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Research Focus
Ananda's research focuses on Black political communication, behavior, and mobilization, with a particular focus on Black language (Ebonics, AAVE) and its impact on political engagement of young Black people in the digital space. She also examines Black media, and Black popular culture, and its connection to political behavior.
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Additionally, Ananda’s work delves into digital politics, public opinion, AI ethics, and broader themes in media and politics.
Research Projects
Collins, Ananda "Shade, Tea & Politics: The Unique Influence of Black Entertainment News on Political Mobilization In the Digital Space" Working Paper
Abstract:
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Black entertainment news outlets are often perceived as apolitical spaces dominated by viral trends and celebrity drama. However, this view overlooks their role in Black political advocacy. Despite financial incentives to prioritize entertainment, these platforms engage in political discourse, aligning with the historical legacy of Black counterpublics as spaces for mobilization and resistance. This study examines how digital Black entertainment news frames political events through an interpretative content analysis of The Shade Room and BET’s coverage of the Roe v. Wade overturning and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts.
Findings show that these outlets embed political issues within racial justice narratives—framing abortion rights through Black maternal mortality risks and voter mobilization within the historical struggle against Black voter suppression.
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Collins, Ananda "That’s CAP!" Or Is It?: The Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence on Local Dialects among Black Youth in Digital News”Working Paper
Abstract:
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As artificial intelligence, particularly Large Language Models (LLMs), becomes more prevalent in the public sphere, concerns about the spread of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news are growing. A key issue is the ability of LLMs to generate human-like text, including local dialects such as African American Vernacular English (AAVE). This capability raises potential risks for spreading misinformation among young Black Americans, who are prominent AAVE speakers and rely heavily on the internet for news (GenForward, 2018). This demographic has also been shown to exhibit lower levels of political engagement and access to political information compared to their racial counterparts (CIRCLE, 2021; CIRCLE, 2023). These factors may make them more susceptible to online misinformation, potentially widening the existing gaps in political participation and knowledge. This research highlights the need to ethically evaluate the implications of LLMs in information dissemination.
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This study seeks to contribute to the growing discourse on AI ethics, with a specific focus on LLMs, by exploring the questions: Can young Black Americans detect the inauthentic AAVE news headlines generated by LLMs, and what ethical considerations does this raise?
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