In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcoming Emmy-winning filmmaker Alex Stapleton to discuss her latest project God Save Texas: The Price of Oil premiering on HBO and MAX. The film chronicles how the divisive but vital energy industry impacts the lives of many Houston residents, specifically Black and disenfranchised communities, which includes Alex’s family, who arrived in Texas in the 1830s as slaves and have stayed in the state for nearly 200 years. The show premieres...
Feb 26, 2024•33 min•Ep. 392
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome filmmakers and e-girl investigators Jazmin Jones and Olivia McKayla Ross of the new documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon . From feature debut filmmaker Jazmin Jones and their collaborator/associate producer Olivia McKayla Ross, Seeking Mavis Beacon follows the pair as they seek to untangle the mystery of the iconic Mavis Beacon, a predecessor to familiar AI figures such as Siri and Alexa and the face of popular 90s’ educational softw...
Feb 19, 2024•19 min•Ep. 391
This week we are dropping a bonus episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast. Premiering in the theaters today is Sony Pictures film Madame Web . Featured on this episode is the film's director SJ Clarkson and actor Celeste O' Connor who plays Mattie Franklin. In the film Madame Web , Cassandra Webb is a New York City paramedic who starts to show signs of clairvoyance. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she must protect three young women from a mysterious adversary who wants them dead. ...
Feb 14, 2024•19 min•Ep. 390
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actors and entertainers Jordan Calloway and Dulcé Sloan. Segment 1: Jordan Calloway started working at a young age and found early success on Unfabulous and two seasons of ER . More recently, Calloway starred in Black Lightning , Riverdale and Freakish . Additional TV credits include Beyond , House of Lies and Pure Genius on the Network. He is currently starring in the CBS series Fire Country . Host: Ryanne Segment 2: Comedian/Ac...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 51 min•Ep. 389
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome the cast and crew behind the Searchlight Pictures film Suncoast . Featured in this interview are actors Nico Parker, Laura Linney and director Laura Chinn. A teen living with her strong-willed mother must take her brother to a specialized facility. She strikes up an unlikely friendship with an eccentric activist at protests surrounding a landmark medical case. Suncoast premieres on Hulu Feb 9th. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edite...
Feb 05, 2024•36 min•Ep. 388
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
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 387
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 ghos...
Jan 22, 2024•33 min•Ep. 386
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 disap...
Jan 15, 2024•17 min•Ep. 386
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. H...
Jan 08, 2024•23 min•Ep. 385
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 platfor...
Jan 01, 2024•19 min•Ep. 384
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. Bla...
Dec 18, 2023•14 min•Ep. 383
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 ...
Dec 11, 2023•38 min•Ep. 382
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 Edit...
Dec 04, 2023•35 min•Ep. 381
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 influentia...
Nov 27, 2023•35 min•Ep. 380
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 Nat...
Nov 20, 2023•28 min•Ep. 379
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 on...
Nov 13, 2023•34 min•Ep. 378
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 . T he documentary explores the complex history of the American Black farmer. As an underrepresented topic that continues to impact Black farmers today, i...
Nov 06, 2023•32 min•Ep. 377
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 (“T...
Oct 30, 2023•18 min•Ep. 376
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...
Oct 23, 2023•28 min•Ep. 375
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, ...
Oct 16, 2023•30 min•Ep. 374
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 Empir...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 373
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 directo...
Oct 02, 2023•15 min•Ep. 372
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 histo...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 371
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: Ryan...
Sep 18, 2023•31 min•Ep. 370
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...
Sep 11, 2023•38 min•Ep. 369
*This interview was recorded before the SAG-AFTRA strike* In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actors Birgundi Baker and Hannaha Hall of Showtime's The Chi . The Chi follows life in a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago where daily danger, and the smallest and simplest of decisions can have life or death consequences for the residents. Birgundi Baker hails from Raleigh, North Carolina. She graduated from Howard University’s musical theater program and shortly ...
Sep 04, 2023•27 min•Ep. 368
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome multi-hyphenate artists Robyn Hood and Heir Jordan of Truth Teller Productions and NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge winner Georgianna McKenny. Segment 1: Miriam A. Hyman aka Robyn Hood (Philly native) is a classically trained actress and a Hip Hop Recording Artist. TV: Currently: Miriam has reprised her guest starring role as Dre for season 6 of The Chi . Up next, Hyman will play US Attorney Stacy Marks on season 2 of Power Book I...
Aug 28, 2023•59 min•Ep. 367
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds Podcast, we welcome film and TV producer Yolanda T. Cochran and DIY star of Honest Renovations Lizzy Mathis. Segment 1: Yolanda T. Cochran is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (serving on the Executive Branch Executive Committee), Television Academy of Arts & Sciences and also the Board of Directors of the Producers Guild of America (PGA). Her 25+ years of experience in film and television includes work as an independ...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 366
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds Podcast we welcome TV showrunner Reggie Rock Bythewood and comedian Sasheer Zamata. Segment 1: Multihyphenate Reggie Rock Bythewood is creator and showrunner of the Apple TV+ series Swagger , from Imagine Television Studios, Boardroom, CBS Studios and Undisputed Cinema. The series is inspired by NBA superstar Kevin Durant’s youth basketball experiences. Season 2 is currently streaming. Host: Ryanne Segment 2: Sasheer Zamata has released her second c...
Aug 14, 2023•58 min•Ep. 365
In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds Podcast, we chat with actors and podcasters Michelle Buteau and Alesha Reneé. Segment 1: Michelle Buteau is an award winning actress, comedian, creator and writer. Buteau most recently starred in the Netflix series Survival Of The Thickest , which she also created and executive produced. Her latest venture, is a new podcast called "Adulting with Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos" which is currently available for streaming wherever you download your ...
Aug 07, 2023•47 min•Ep. 364
