Black Girl Nerds Podcast

Dillon Stevenson performed stand-up at New York Comedy Club, Broadway Comedy Club, Comix at Foxwoods, and Gotham Comedy Club & other venues in NYC. He’s written, directed, and performed in sketch shows off Broadway and at benefits and events throughout the city. @theDiLLon1 Gordon Baker-Bone is a stellar comedian who is regularly booked for shows all over the East Coast. . He frequently performs, produces, and hosts his own shows at clubs such as Stress Factory Comix at Foxwoods. @BakerBone John Minus is a comedian, writer, and all-around great guy who lives and breathes his home state of New Jersey. Eschewing traditional Black Comedian tropes, John wants to re-invent the image of the Black Comic. He's performed at Broadway Comedy Club, Comix at Foxwoods, & Greenwich Comedy Club among others. @DonCoyote Mike Brown is a comedian and writer from Harlem, New York. He’s performed at Caroline’s Comedy Club, Stand Up NY, Laugh Lounge, EastVille Comedy Club, New York Comedy Club as well as Sirius XM. He co-hosts and produces the Comedy Outliers show, the Machine Gun Funk show, and The Big Pony Show. @YoMikeBrown Cerrome Russell, born and raised in Sumter County, GA, started his comedy career 10 years ago while serving in the USMC. He was first exposed to a broader audience as a cast member on the 2nd Season of BET's popular prank show Hell Date. A staple on the Washington DC comedy scene, Cerrome has also performed in NYC and CT at places such as the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn and Comix at Foxwoods. @CerromeRussell

We have guests Shareef Jackson and Danielle Lee discuss all things Science! If you're a Science geek as well as a fan of the hit primetime series Cosmos, then this is the show for you! Shareef Jackson: Shareef views on science and technology have been featured on sources such as NPR, Scientific American, NASA TV, and This Week in Blackness. His science blog at ShareefJackson.com has won the Black Weblog Award for Best Science and Technology Blog in 2012 and 2013. By using the tagline #ScienceLooksGood, Shareef speaks breaks down science in a way that the average person can understand. Shareef has been able to attend several events including the Consumer Electronics Show and the final launch of NASA’s space shuttle program. Danielle Lee: Danielle is an American biologist. Lee completed her BS in Animal Sciences at Tennessee Technological University, her MS in Vertebrate Zoology at University of Memphis, and her PhD in Biology at University of Missouri-St. Louis. Lee is currently doing post-doctorate research at Cornell University, formerly at Oklahoma State studying African giant pouched rats. Recently, Lee was named as one of ten White House Champions of Change in STEM Diversity and Access. In addition to her lab and field research, Lee is passionate about science outreach and is well known for her science promotion and outreach in social media. Lee authors The Urban Scientist on the Scientific American Blog Network.

We will visit the topic of an online community in social media referred to as "Black Twitter" Black Twitter is a cultural identity on Twitter that is a collective of African-American users. We have a panel of prominent social media personalities to discuss the advent of Black Twitter and what the term means. We will also discuss the profound effect Black Twitter has had on the mainstream media and how it works to amplify marginalized voices.

The AfroFuturist Affair is a community formed to celebrate, strengthen, and promote Afrofuturistic and Black sci-fi culture through creative events, community workshops, blogging, and creative writing. The Afrofuturist Affair uses proceeds from events to fund the Futurist Fund Community Grant. The AfroFuturist Affair is a founding member of Metropolarity.net, a 215 Speculative Fiction Collective. R. Phillips is a Philadelphia public interested attorney, speculative fiction writer, the creator of The AfroFuturist Affair, and a founding member of Metropolarity.net. She recently independently published her first speculative fiction collection, Recurrence Plot (and Other Time Travel Tales).

Dissatisfied with the complete lack of empowered women of color in Hollywood's superhero pantheon, Maya Glick decided to take matters into her own hands and fill in that blank herself with a bold new take on her favorite X-Men character: Ororo Munroe, best known as Storm. She joined us to discuss her project currently production as well as this refreshing take on the punk Storm.

Long Hidden: Speculative Fiction from the Margins of History This all-original anthology, edited by authors Older and Fox, expands the focus of Anglophone speculative fiction beyond protagonists who are white, straight, cisgender, and male. The narrative highlights 27 selections from various authors. Rose Fox is a compulsive magazine editor with a lifelong love of genre fiction. Credits include: reviews editor for Publishers Weekly, co-host of Publishers Weekly Radio, editor-at-large for #24MAG, and dissociative editor of the Annals of Improbable Research. Daniel José Older is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor and composer. Salsa Nocturna, Daniel's debut ghost noir collection, was hailed as "striking and original" by Publishers Weekly. He facilitates workshops on storytelling, music, and anti-oppression organizing at public schools, community organizations, and universities.

Holland and Akeem are vloggers for the popular nerd-centric website Geek & Sundry. Geek & Sundry is a commerical YouTube channel and multimedia company started by Felicia Day. Holland and Akeem have their own independent channels where they do movie reviews, comment on geek culture, and travel to cons all over the country. Sarah Rodriguez who also works for Geek & Sundry and is the founder of Nerdy B Flirty also appeared as a guest.

Dr. Sheena Howard will appear to discuss the representation of race in comic books as well as representation of the LGBT community in comics. Dr. Howard is the author of the book, BLACK COMICS: POLITICS OF RACE AND REPRESENTATION.

Inspired by the #GeekEChat led by the 7th Matrix, we are doing a show soley dedicated to our favorite villains and foes! We will talk about the best and worst of all time, and also what are the personality traits that make up a great villain? If you love the bad guys and bad girls this is one show you cannot miss!

The season finale has arrived and we will recap the first season of this show that has blown us all away and impressed nerds everywhere! If you are a Sleepy Hollow fan and need an extra dose of the hotness that is this supernatrual series, do not miss this podcast!

We will have a panel of tabletop players who are into D&D tabletop games, LARPing, and digital RPGs! Our panel includes Quinn Murphy, Kyle, Misha, Anji, and Laura Simpson. We will discuss table top gaming and popular games in the nerd community as well as blerd players and the role of diversity in digital and table top gaming. Nerdy RPG kids are welcome to this show!

Of Music And Men is an American television comedy-drama created by Kayona Ebony Brown that chronicles the life of a young, single, female entrepreneur and her experiences with men as she tries to succeed in the music business and in love, all while navigating the most unlikely town for either: Washington, DC. Join us as we discuss her new Kickstarter methods of getting this project funded and tips to how you can do the same thing for your own project!

Are you a comic book geek? Do you prefer Marvel or DC or both? This podcast will feature our BGN co-hosts to chat with us about our favorite comic books as well as the representation of women in comic books.

Did you love our Cartoonmania podcast? We talked about Robotech, Samurai Pizza Cats, and Pinky & The Brain! We've decided to do a part 2! We will chat about all of our favorite nostalgic cartoons of the 80s and 90s, as well as new cartoons of today! If you love geeking out over all things animated, then this is the show for you!

Makeda DeJene aka Grim Phreaker runs http://www.zombiegameronline.com/ which reviews games, comics and posts on happenings within the geek culture. She will chat with us to discuss how and why she created the site and how the culture of gaming has evolved and changed over the years.

Do you have to like comic books to be classified as a "nerd"? Do you have to be an avid gamer or cosplayer? What are the qualifiers of nerdiness and should there be? We will discuss the controversy of what truly consitutues nerdiness and why nerds feel the need to be loyal to specific aspects of nerd culture in order to be deemed "nerdworthy" Yes, we just made that word up. Tune in!

Believe it or not there are Black female filmmakers who are creating horror films and have an eminent voice in the horror film community. Tananarive Due and Kristina Leath-Malin will be our guests as we discuss gender and race disparities in the horror film genre as well as current projects both filmmakers are working on and their mission to spread the word that Black women are making horror films!

Horror academic nerd and Freddy Krueger enthusiast, Ashlee Blackwell will discuss on this episode all things horror! She is the author of the website http://quirksandsplatters.com/, graveyardshiftsisters.blogspot.com, and she also hosts the Women In Horror Month Official Podcast, and is our resident black girl nerd expert in horror movies! We will celebrate Halloween just a little early with this SCARY horror movie podcast! This is one you do not want to miss!

GeekGirlCon celebrates and honors the legacy of women contributing to science and technology; comics, arts, and literature; and game play and game design by connecting geeky women world-wide and creating community to foster continued growth of women in geek culture through events. Attendees Rachel Brody and Jaz will be featured on the podcast to provide us up-to-the-minute information about the event and how important this con is for nerdy girls.

Toni Carey and Ashley Hicks created Black Girls RUN! in an effort to tackle the growing obesity epidemic in the African-American community and provide encouragement and resources to both new and veteran runners. The mission of Black Girls RUN! is to encourage African-American women to make fitness and healthy living a priority.

Happy Black Woman is a supportive community that helps women create their ideal lives through personal development and entrepreneurship. They have positive, affirming conversations about self-care, relationships, entrepreneurship, lifestyle, travel and what it means to be free. You’ll also find inspirational quotes, informative articles and thought-provoking questions to support you in your journey.

The wait is almost over. Season 3 of Scandal premieres on Thursday Oct 3rd. Get out your bag of popcorn and your glass of red wine for this podcast. If you are a Gladiator, this is one podcast you will NOT want to miss! We have guests Mekeisha Madden-Toby, a critical writer, reporter, and blogger for MSN TV and social media comic and our resident Scandal expert Tangela Ekhoff who's social engagement with the Scandal cast is higher than your average fan.

Rebecca O'Neal is a Chicago based writer/editor and stand up comedian whose work can be read on/in Vanity Fair Magazine, Gawker.tv, Spli.tsider.com, The Rumpus, and more. She is also a regular guest on Vocalo.org's morning amp and has appeared as a guest comedy commentator or WBEZ/NPR's Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia. This self-declared BGN will discuss what its like working in the comedy circuit and advice to other young women who are interested in starting a career in comedy.

Gilbert Chrispin & Elizabeth Auguste from I Love Mi-Me will discuss skin care. Karyn Washington from For Brown Girls will discuss makeup tips and Brittney Marshall from My BrownBox will discuss being a successful beauty and lifestyle service for women.

Black Girls Golf was founded in 2011 by Tiffany Mack Fitzgerald. Tiffany created Black Girls Golf after spending 10 years in Corporate America and noticing how many opportunities were available to her colleagues who played golf. As she became a more experienced golfer, she noticed how few Black women were involved in the sport. Black Girls Golf exists to change the exclusive culture of golf by introducing women and minorities to golf and making them lifelong players.

The DeceptiComics are five malevolent comedians, brutal, merciless, and hilarious. Their purpose,to conquer and destroy audiences with brutal wit and deadly punchlines. They are driven by a single undeviating goal: total domination of the entertainment universe. This show is 20% Smart, 20 Geeky, 20% Insane, 20% Dirty and 20% Country-fried. John Minus, Mike Brown, Cerrome Russell from Decepticomics will talk to us about this stand-up comedy group and we plan to get into some funny shenanigans on this podcast!

Actor Theodus Crane is known by nerds everywhere as "Big Tiny" from The Walking Dead. He will chat with us about his experiences on the show and also about his thoughts of black comic book characters represented in TV/Film. Don't miss this one if your're a Walking Deadhead!

Are you a mommy or daddy blerd? Would you like to know what its like growing up blerdy? This podcast will feature a panel of hosts who are parents raising their children to to become the future blerds of America! Should one choose to raise their child to be nerdy? This podcast feature hosts: Shelly Ellis, Twila Dang, Brittany Logan, and Yewande Ige from Baby Blerd (@babyblerd). If you're a parent, this is one podcast you will not want to miss!

Carolyn Malachi is a performing artist. Born in 1984 in Washington, DC, Malachi is the great-granddaughter of jazz pianist John Malachi who played for Sarah Vaughn, Pearl Bailey, Billy Eckstine. Carolyn Malachi mixes jazz with other genres. Her music is heavily influenced by jazz and Motswako, a style of South African music popularized by Hip Hop Pantsula. Malachi's releases include Revenge of the Smart Chicks (2008), Revenge of the Smart Chicks II: Ambitious Gods (2009), and the Lions, Fires & Squares EP (2010). Carolyn Malachi founded the Smart Chicks Network in 2009. The organization is composed of women in the arts and meets monthly to share industry and general professional resources. In 2009, Malachi became a resident artist at BloomBars, a community arts space in Washington, DC. The Maryland State Arts Council and Mid-Atlantic Arts Council awarded Malachi with a 2010 Individual Artist Award and Mid-Atlantic Arts Fellowship. TheRoot.com named Carolyn Malachi a Top 25 Gen Y Artist / Entrepreneur in 2010.

Jasmine Doster is a motivational speaker and life coach. She will talk about her personal experiences and life lessons in the areas of spiritual well being and empowerment. She has an upcoming book called "You Think You Know".

The most popular and highly downloded podcast on BGN has now spawned a sequel. If you have ever been curious about coding or you are interested in new media industries where you want to flourish as a budding coder, then this is the podcast for you! We will feature our panels from part 1 which includes: Daphne from Black Female Coders Nnaemeka from Black Girls Code Robert Young

Black Girl In Suburbia is a feature documentary that looks into the experiences of black girls growing up in predominately white communities. This is a different look into suburbia from the perspective of women of color. This film explores through professional and personal interviews the conflict and issues black girls have relating to both white and black communities.

Our first Blerd Book Club selection is over and now we're ready to discuss the story of Orleans by Sherri L. Smith! Blerd Book Club members be sure to have your notes and questions ready for Sherri! Book Synopsis: Fen de la Guerre is living with the O-Positive blood tribe in the Delta when they are ambushed. Left with her tribe leader’s newborn, Fen is determined to get the baby to a better life over the wall before her blood becomes tainted. Fen meets Daniel, a scientist from the Outer States who has snuck into the Delta illegally. Brought together by chance, kept together by danger, Fen and Daniel navigate the wasteland of Orleans. In the end, they are each other’s last hope for survival.

This 90 minute podcast is devoted to 2 shows that we all love! Orphan Black will be our first segment where we talk about what's happening to the clones and who took Kira?? Segment two we will discuss Game of Thrones and the infamous Red Wedding scene! If you're hardcore into either one of these shows...mark this one on your "to listen" list!

Shequeta Smith is the director of the YouTube hit about an interracial body swap between two women who spend a day in each other's shoes. A lighthearted comedy that speaks to the serious issue of race and stereotypes are depicted in this quirky film called The Takeover

Do you wanna do bad things? This podcast is soley devoted the hotness that is True Blood. The new season premeire airs shortly after this podcast, so if you plan on having a True Blood party...TUNE IN! Are you Team Bill or Team Eric? What are your thoughts of Alan Ball leaving the show? Are the Sookie Stackhouse novels worse or better? We will talk about everything related to True Blood so if you're a Trubie, this is one podcast you don't want to miss!

Have you heard of Blerdology? Formerly known as Black Girls Hack, Blerdology is a social enterprise focused on the enhancement and celebration of the Black tech community. The CEO and Founder Kat Calvin along with PR Manager Amanda Spann will talk with BGN to discuss the accomplishments of this organization and how it affects our community.

The most controversial podcast to date was so intense that BGN has decided to air a "Part 2" episode for all of our listeners. This 2 hour podcast will revisit the issue of interracial dating and why is it still a pressing issue in 2013? Niki McElroy from thecreaminmycoffee.com will discuss her thoughts and her new controversial book A Black Girl's Guide to Dating White Men. Whether you agree or disagree this will be a podcast you will not want to miss!

We're bringing NERDY back! We will discuss our favorite nerdified content on BBC America that is fully devoted to all things Dr. Who, Orphan Black, and The Nerdist! If you're a geek that loves any or all of these shows, you don't want to miss this one!

XO Jane contributor Chaka Cumberbatch raised eyebrows with her profound article about her experiences as a black cosplayer. She will discuss her experiences as a cosplayer and the stigma attached in the black community. Chelsea M the creator of Cosplaying While Black will be on the podcast, and Jamila Rowser from the Girl Gone Geek blog will also talk to us about women of color who adore the act of cosplay! This is one podcast you do not want to miss!

BGN will interview a panel of black coders in the tech industry. All types of coding to software programming, android and iPhone app programming, and so much more. If you are in the dark about what coding is all about, this is the podcast for you! We will also talk about how significant coding is to the black community and how this skill can enhance our culture.

There is a growing subculture of women who love and listen to heavy metal music. This podcast wll discuss the racial and gender stereotypes associated with the heavy metal genre as well as social media outlets for like-minded women like us who love listening to heavy metal. Guests will be Ursula from Hear Evil News and author Laina Dawes who wrote the book, "What Are You Doing Here?": A Black Woman's Life and Liberation in Heavy Metal

The highest rated show yet! BGN discusses interracial dating. BGN will discuss interracial dating in the Black community and why is this subject still taboo in 2013? We will discuss the disparities between Black women dating non-black men and Black men who date non-black women.

BGN interviews the creator of the new site created by and for Blerds called BlerdNation

BGN will discuss how nerdiness is percieved in the Black community. Why is nerdiness associated with whiteness? What is Talking White/Acting Black? Is your blackness questioned because you choose to embrace other cultures?

Misee is vying for a spot to become the first Black Bachelorette on the popular reality TV series. Do you believe there should be a Black Bachelorette? Dr. Harris also talks about the power of social media and the depiction of Black women in reality TV

This special 2 hour podcast will be solely devoted to ALL THNGS WALKING DEAD! Who are your favorite characters? Who do you want dead or to come back to life? What was the best episode and/or worst episode of the season? And when will Carl get rid of that damn hat?

Cartoon Crushes. Which animated characters TV Cartoons that Should Make A Comeback

Pop Culture Day: Movies, Indie Comics, and Favorite TV Shows

Episode 2 Fake Nerds. What is your take on the new Fake Nerd Culture? We talk about the MAJOR controversy among nerds about the recent evolution of hipsters thinking that nerdy is the new cool. Is it cool to be a nerd? Or is it offensive to real nerds? Our resident chef, Chef Bob will also provide Food Advice, Tips, Recipes

Episode 1 of the BGN Podcast will talk about the word "Blerd" and what that word means in the Black Nerd community. Do you like the word? Do you hate it? We will also discuss current books, comics books, and music that we are reading and/or listening to. The end of each episode provides information on each of our social networks and a preview to the next week's podcast topic.