ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book reviews the contributions of people of African descent around the world, and describes some of the struggles that people of African descent continue to face in their endeavors to tell stories which reflect their multifaceted experiences and narratives. It refers specifically to Black people of African descent as members of the African Diaspora. The book illustrates the tensions between spirituality, consumerism, and the history of Blacks in America that produces a theology based on economic mobility which provides insight into the appeal of prosperity theology for the Black community. It identifies experiences of Blackness within a North American context. The book focuses on the expression of African diasporic identities in virtual or digital environments. It demonstrates the ways in which diasporic Blackness is mediated across geographical and cultural boundaries.