AE Stevenson and Brooklyne Gipson on Digital Black Feminism, Sinners, and One Battle After Another

University of Chicago Assistant Professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies, AE Stevenson and Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Brooklyne Gipson join us to talk about digital Black feminism online. We start our discussion with America’s relations with the platform TikTok, and how it is a large social media site for Black creators. We then explore how to define community and culture, especially for Black people online, in a world resistant to progress. Building from this, AE and Brooklyne discuss how certain communicative practices in the Black community focus on storytelling as a vehicle for critical thought rather than a lack of media literacy education. This leads to the larger topic of online discourse around the films Sinners and One Battle After Another. We end with dissecting how the recognition of, or lack thereof, Black culture affects people’s views of these films. Although they both feature Black actors, they interact with culture very differently. Ultimately, we push for an awareness of the multilayered discussions of media seen as progressive or discursive. They should think about what cultures and communities are being featured and how.        Here are some of the references from this episode, for those who want to dig a little deeper: Academic/Educational readings and resources: Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code Algorithms of Oppression  Dark Matters: On the Surveillance of Blackness Renegades: Digital Dance Cultures from Dubsmash to TikTok Digital Pleasure and Danger: A Roundtable Discussion Niggas on the Internet: Scenes of a Black Social Life (Dissertation) Sites of Chaos: Scenes of a Black Social Life (book in progress) he Black Mirror World: Racialized Disinformation and Misogynoir Online (book in progress) The Comet (1920) [short story, article] The Souls of Black Folk Black Oscars: From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us about African Americans People & Places: Ruha Benjamin Ryan Coogler Teyana Taylor Safiya Noble Simone Browne Jasmine Crockett Centinela Drive-In Steve Jobs Charli D'Amelio Leonardo Chiariglione Toni Cade Bambara W. E. B. Du Bois Denzel Washington Lupita Nyong'o Michael B. Jordan Nia DaCosta Sonja Norwood (wickdconfections) Leonardo DiCaprio Timothée Chalamet Sam Raimi Kevin Samuels Andrew Tate Candace Owens Charlie Kirk Erika Kirk Nicki Minaj Steve Bannon Paul Thomas Anderson Maya Rudolph Minnie Riperton Media: Michael B. Jordan Wins Best Actor | 98th Oscars Speech (2026) Sinners (2025) One Battle After Another (2026) Twister (1996) #OscarsSoWhite and The Legacy of Halle Berry by Be Kind Rewind Scream franchise Scream (1996) Scream 7 (2026) Scary Movie franchise Scary Movie (2026 film) Black Panther (2018) Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) Bugonia (2025) Magnolia (1999) Punch-Drunk Love (2002) Inherent Vice (2014) Phantom Thread (2017) Licorise Pizza (2021) Moonlight (2016) James Bond series Live and Let Die (1973) Oregon Trail (game) Lex Marie artwork A Thousand and One (2023) From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) The Jazz Singer (1980) TikTok finalizes deal to form new U.S. unit with major American investors Is the new US TikTok safer? Candace Owens takes on Erika Kirk in 'The Bride of Charlie' Erika Kirk Accidentally Mixes Up 'Grift' Instead of 'Grit' in Awkward Moment at Turning Point USA Event Vine TikTok YouTube Wickdconfections Black American recipe series Exalted (book) ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Share your thoughts via Twitter with Henry, Colin and the How Do You Like It So Far? account! You can also email us at [email protected]:“In Time” by Dylan Emmett and “Spaceship” by Lesion X.In Time (Instrumental) by Dylan Emmet  https://soundcloud.com/dylanemmetSpaceship by Lesion X https://soundcloud.com/lesionxbeatsCreative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/in-time-instrumentalFree Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/lesion-x-spaceshipMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/AzYoVrMLa1Q––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––