Black Girl Nerds

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast we wrap up our coverage of Sundance 2024 by sharing some of the films we loved and hated at the festival. Special thanks to TT, Charles, Travis, Tim and Cortland for participating in this roundtable chat.  Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome authors Shawnelle and Shawneé Gibbs.  The Gibbs Sisters are accomplished comic book and animation writers.  The two recently released their acclaimed new graphic novel, Ghost Roast. In Ghost Roast, when 15-year-old Chelsea Grant is grounded for her newfound rebellious teen lifestyle, her father’s biggest punishment is making her spend her summer working with his ghost removal agency, but Chelsea doesn't want to be any kind of ghost hunter; she just wants to be a normal teen. Chelsea’s forced into the family profession kicking and screaming, until she discovers that she has a talent for communicating with ghosts, and one in particular, a wealthy 17-year-old heir to a family fortune, who died over a century before. Ghost Roast is available wherever books are sold. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actor and professional boxer Kali Reis.  Kali Reis is an American professional boxer and actress, holding a world champion title in the female middleweight and female light welterweight classes.  She is currently starring alongside Jodie Foster in the HBO series True Detective: Night Country.   In the series, ;aw enforcement in the fictional mining town of Ennis, Alaska, who are brought together while investigating the men who disappeared from a local arctic research station. The series is currently on HBO and streaming on HBO Max. Host: Jamie  Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actor Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor. Known for her work in several film and television productions, she has received several awards including nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is currently starring in the film Origin based on the best selling book called Caste.  Origin is currently playing in selected theaters and expands in more theaters Jan 19th. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie  Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actor and entertainer Erika Alexander. Erika currently is starring in the film American Fiction due for wide release in theaters January 5th.  She is currently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress. Erika is also a director, producer, activist, and entrepreneur. Her company, Color Farm Media, develops and produces scripted and non-scripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. She has had such an illustrious career on and off screen, from acting roles such as Living Single and Get Out to creating and producing such documentaries as John Lewis: Good Trouble under her Color Farm Media banner. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds Podcast, we welcome NY Times Best-Selling Author Charmaine Wilkerson. Charmaine Wilkerson is a Caribbean-American writer currently based in Italy. Her debut novel Black Cake is a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna book club pick, and the inspiration for the Hulu screen series of the same name. Charmaine is a former US news and communication professional whose award-winning short fiction has appeared in various anthologies and magazines. Black Cake is currently streaming on Hulu. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actor Lonnie Chavis and comedian Dina Hashem. Segment 1: Award winning actor Lonnie Chavis, known for his role as young Randall Pearson on the hit TV show This Is Us, is set to star in the upcoming film How I Learned to Fly (coming to theaters Dec 1st) In this touching story, Lonnie portrays a teenage boy who is high functioning on the spectrum. The film explores themes of brotherhood, friendship, tragedy, and triumph, offering a heartfelt and authentic portrayal. Host: Ryanne Segment 2: Dina Hashem has a new special called Dark Little Whispers, which premieres on Amazon Prime on November 10th and is Executive Produced by fellow comic Sam Morril. In this much-anticipated breakout hour of comedy, Dina discusses everything from death threats and existential dilemmas, to relationship problems, quiet people, and her upbringing as a first generation Arab-American. Dina is also a writer on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show and she will be heard vo

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome filmmaker Lagueria Davis. Black Barbie celebrates the momentous impact three Black women at Mattel had on the evolution of the Barbie brand as we know it. Through these charismatic insiders’ stories, the documentary tells the story of how the first Black Barbie came to be in 1980, examining the importance of representation and how dolls can be crucial to the formation of identity and imagination. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome Iyanla Vanzant and actor Aml Ameen. Segment 1: Iyanla Vanzant is best known as the host of the hit OWN series “Iyanla, Fix My Life,” which recently completed its 10th and final season. From welfare mother to New York Times best-selling author, from the Brooklyn projects to Emmy Award winner, from broken pieces to peace, Iyanla is one of the country’s most celebrated writers and public speakers, and she’s among the most influential, socially engaged, and acclaimed spiritual life coaches of our time. Host: Ryanne Segment 2: Aml Ameen plays Martin Luther King Jr. in Netflix’s film Rustin, directed by George C. Wolfe and produced by former President Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions. The film follows civil rights activist Bayard Rustin as he organizes the 1963 March on Washington and as you may know, it’s already getting a ton of awards buzz this season. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

Maya Williams is a religious Black multiracial nonbinary suicide survivor who is currently the seventh poet laureate of Portland, Maine. Maya's debut poetry collection, Judas & Suicide, was selected as a finalist for the New England Book Award in July 2023, and is available via Game Over Books. Eir second poetry collection, Refused a Second Date, is available via Harbor Editions this October. They have contributed essays to venues such as Black Girl Nerds, Stylist, The Daily Beast, LGBTQ Nation, Honey Literary, The Rumpus, and more. Host: Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome Twitch streamers BigBossBoze and ChelseaBytes. Segment 1: Ericka "Boze" Bozeman is a Twitch streamer and former member of Smosh Games. She streams a wide variety of games under her Twitch channel BigBossBoze. She’s notably known for her true crime content which you can also see on her Twitch channel and YouTube. Host: Jamie Segment 2: ChelseaBytes is one of two Women' Guild Leaders and she is all about the tech on-stream. Not only is she an official G2 Esports streamer, she also hosts events for Amazon, Intel, and more. Her goal is to show the world that computer scientists don’t look and act the way most people imagine. ChelseaBytes was also a member of Twitch Women’s Alliance (TWA). Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome TV host, weather man and executive producer Al Roker. Al Roker is a journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's Today and occasionally co-hosts 3rd Hour Today. His latest project is the film Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land. The documentary explores the complex history of the American Black farmer. As an underrepresented topic that continues to impact Black farmers today, it’s important to showcase the legacy of Black farming in America and the devastating impact of heirs’ property on Black land ownership. It also addresses how landowners are reclaiming their agricultural rights and their paths to generational wealth with the support of other landowners and organizations. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome executive producers Jim Cooper and Jeff Dixon of the new Apple TV+ series Curses! In Curses!, when a generations-long family curse turns Alex Vanderhouven to stone, it’s up to his two kids, Pandora and Russ, and his wife Sky, to return artifacts stolen by their ancestors to their rightful homes to finally lift the curse for good. The series is created and executive produced by Jim Cooper (“DreamWorks Dragons”) and Jeff Dixon (“The Hurricane Heist”). Writer/director John Krasinski (“A Quiet Place” Parts I & II) also serves as executive producer and Allyson Seeger (“A Quiet Place” Parts I & II) as co-executive producer. Leo Riley (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Tron: Uprising”) is supervising producer, with Chris Copeland (“Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts”) and Justin Copeland (“Wonder Woman: Bloodlines”) serving as creative consultants. Leo Riley (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Tron: Uprising”) directs with animation services provided by

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome author Tatiana Obey. Tatiana Obey writes badass characters slaying dragons. Her debut novel, Bones to the Wind, is a 2022 BBA Award Winner and a 2022 Indie Ink Award Finalist. She taught English in South Korea, studied abroad in Japan, and worked as a marketing specialist for a woman-owned law firm. The one thing she loves as much as writing is traveling the world. Host: Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we chat with comic book creator Beserat Debebe. Beserat Debebe is the founder of Etan Comics and the writer/creator of HAWI, JEMBER, and ZUFAN. He was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Indiana University. In 2018, his love for graphic novels and fantasy stories led him to establish  Etan Comics, a Pan-African entertainment company bringing African stories to life using comics & graphic novels made by African storytellers. His works have been nominated for Best Graphic Novel Awards, and featured on BBC, OkayAfrica, ComicsBeat, and more! Host: Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we discuss the season 1 finale of the Disney+ series Ahsoka. Specifically the discussion circulates around episodes 7 and 8 of the series. The show is about Ahsoka Tano, the former Jedi knight investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Building off her popularity in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), seeks to quell a threat that is attempting to revive the Empire. Featuring a majority female-led cast, the series centers around three women with a shared history of standing up against repression and fighting for what is right, even when the odds are stacked against them. The team comes face to face with new conflicts as society struggles to reform. The women are prompted to consider their places in a post-war environment and what it means to work together as a team… along with awesome lightsaber battles, of course.  Host: Jamie and Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broad

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome the animation team behind the upcoming Disney adventure Wish. Segment 1: Jennifer Lee (Exec Producer), is the chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) and is the writer/director of Frozen and Frozen 2  the latter of which continues to be the highest-grossing animated feature ever released. Segment 2: Chris Buck (Director), previously directed Frozen 2 and the Oscar® winning Frozen, along with fellow director Jennifer Lee, and both films went on to become the top two highest-grossing animated features ever released. Fawn Veerasunthorn (Director): was previously head of story for the Academy Award®-nominated Raya and the Last Dragon from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Veerasunthorn joined the Studio as a story artist in 2011 and has since contributed her talents to the Oscar®-winning feature films Frozen and Zootopia, as well as Moana, Ralph Breaks the Internet and Frozen 2. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we chat about the Disney+ series Ahsoka. The series is about Ahsoka Tano, the former Jedi knight investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Building off her popularity in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson), seeks to quell a threat that is attempting to revive the Empire. Featuring a majority female-led cast, the series centers around three women with a shared history of standing up against repression and fighting for what is right, even when the odds are stacked against them. The team comes face to face with new conflicts as society struggles to reform. The women are prompted to consider their places in a post-war environment and what it means to work together as a team… along with awesome lightsaber battles, of course.  Host: Jamie and Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome comedian and author Aida Rodriguez. Aida Rodriguez is a favorite of critics and fans alike.  Aida's comedy special Fighting Words is currently streaming on Max. The special concludes with a travel documentary of Aida’s trips to Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic celebrating her vibrant heritage and reuniting with her estranged father.  She also has a new book called Legitimate Kid, a personal memoir of her childhood. Host: Ryanne Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome former model and and activist Bethann Hardison and filmmaker Nailah Jefferson. Segment 1: Invisible Beauty shines a spotlight on the singular and unapologetic Hardison, one of the fashion industry’s most influential icons who, as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent and entrepreneur, has pushed the boundaries of fashion culture and has been at the forefront of progress throughout her career. In her lifetime, Hardison has seen the pendulum swing toward and away from the Black model. At every setback, she spoke up and rallied her colleagues and clients in the industry to advance change. Now in her 70s, the Brooklyn native is writing her memoir, taking stock of her own legacy at a moment when the fashion industry was shaken by discrimination. Opens in theaters September 15th. Host: Jamie Segment 2: Nailah is a New Orleans based filmmaker intrigued and inspired by the enduring human spirit, whose films span fiction and nonfiction. Her accla