Reconfiguring Black Internationalism: English as Foreign Language Teachers of African Descent in South Korea

Abstract

ABSTRACT Black internationalism is a framework used to analyze the oppression faced by people of African descent and their collaborative efforts globally, sometimes alongside other people of color, to dismantle white supremacy. Black internationalism, however, is not without its shortcomings, privileging certain intellectuals, locations, and institutions. This article seeks to reconfigure the contours of Black internationalism by focusing on the political activism of English as Foreign Language teachers of African descent in South Korea. I posit that these millennials’ activism, including Black History Month festivals and #BlackLivesMatterKorea, is a result of their racialized socialization. I also emphasize the role of the Facebook group Brothas and Sistas in South Korea (B.S.S.K.) in facilitating the practice of Black internationalism. Additionally, I show how Black American identity comes into sharp relief when refracted through the eyes of Koreans and continental Africans living in South Korea. These encounters, especially with non-U.S. racialized subjects, highlight and destabilize African-American exceptionalism.