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Nikki Lane, Ph.D
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What is Summer School?

Summer School is what happens when a dope ass professor teaches critical social and cultural theory in a bar.

If you’re intellectually curious, get excited by the prospect of deep thinking, and stimulating conversation, then join Dr. Nikki Lane for a series of lectures about Black popular culture and sexual politics in America. Enjoy an evening in the company of other smart folks like yourself as you tackle discussion questions for the night. Enjoy happy hour drink specials at the H St. location of the upscale pizzeria Red Rocks. Enjoy an engaging lecture from a dynamic, funny, and gifted  lecturer.

Bring friends. Bring bae(s). Bring your curiosity to Summer School.

Summer School 2019

August 14

Wakanda Forevever: Reading Blackness in Film

The release of Disney’s Marvel Comics’ film Black Panther was a world-wide event. Black moviegoers dressed up, coordinated dances, and took pictures of themselves doing the “Wakandan salute.” Black people all over the world celebrated the superhero film not only for having nearly entire cast of African and African American actors and actresses, but also in its commitment to telling a story rooted in questions ongoing within the African Diaspora and for having a multitude of representations of kinds of Blackness. Additionally, the film’s director and co-writer, Ryan Coogler, ensured that much of the production itself was led by Black producers and designers. The film and its production highlighted the lack of representation of Black people in the major Hollywood blockbuster film genre and in Hollywood more generally.

In this lecture, we’ll contextualize the film Black Panther by considering its place within the history of representations of Blackness in the film industry in the U.S. I’ll introduce you to critical theories of race and representation, and together consider what we think it means for Disney and Marvel Comics to be in the business of representing Blackness to the world.

Who all gon’ be there?
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“I‘m Black and I’m Proud”: Black Pride and Black Queer Life in DC

May 8

Lecture notes

Important quotes, reading list, and discussion questions

Black LGBT Pride Celebrations (hereinafter referred to as Black Pride) in the United States is different from “general” LGBT Pride Celebrations. Black Pride Celebrations are a special collection of events meant to celebrate and address the specific issues of local Black LGBT people and highlight Black LGBT and allied businesses and creatives. They are organized by a diverse group of Black local stakeholders.

In this lecture, I discuss the history of Black Pride Celebrations, the first of which was held right here in Washington, DC. I also discuss the Black queer communities which gave birth to it. I’ll share bits about my current research project that is actively working to collect and preserve archival material related to Black Pride Celebrations. Got old photos, posters, pamphlets, or other material from Black Pride? Bring them! 

From Stripping to Dog Walking: Cardi B and the Rise of Women Who Rap

June 12

Lecture notes

Important quotes, reading list, and discussion questions

In this lecture, we will discuss the noise over which black women who rap must contend in order to make their voices heard. We will discuss the ways that black women who rap work within and outside the boundaries of what is understood to be “appropriate” for black women within and outside of hip-hop culture to do and say. We’ll focus on the meteoric of Cardi B asking how she has consistently disturbed the boundaries around norms of racialized gender and sexuality.

We’ll discuss how black women who rap have consistently managed to overstep these boundaries using the language of hip-hop, which is typically a domain where men and masculinity reign supreme, to question hip-hop’s patriarchy and heteronormativity and exposing its fault lines. We’ll end by thinking about how black women who rap dare us to listen to what Black women have to say about their experiences of race, gender, and sexuality.

On Being Ratchet and Boojie: Black Class Politics in the 21st Century

July 10

Lecture notes

Important quotes, reading list, and discussion questions

In this lecture, we will discuss the noise over which black women who rap must contend in order to make their voices heard. We will discuss the ways that black women who rap work within and outside the boundaries of what is understood to be “appropriate” for black women within and outside of hip-hop culture to do and say. We’ll focus on the meteoric of Cardi B asking how she has consistently disturbed the boundaries around norms of racialized gender and sexuality.

We’ll discuss how black women who rap have consistently managed to overstep these boundaries using the language of hip-hop, which is typically a domain where men and masculinity reign supreme, to question hip-hop’s patriarchy and heteronormativity and exposing its fault lines. We’ll end by thinking about how black women who rap dare us to listen to what Black women have to say about their experiences of race, gender, and sexuality.

Sponsors

Thank you to  these generous sponsors for contributing to my dream of educating EVERYBODY who wants to learn contemporary critical theory, and apply it to their everyday lives. Y’all the real MVPs.

Gold Sponsors

Our Gold Sponsors couldn’t make it, but wish they could. To show support, they’ve sponsored a free ticket for someone else.

  • Philip Jean-Pierre

Platinum Sponsors

Our Platinum Sponsors have purchased multiple tickets to show their support. They are our heroes.

  • Lydia Kellow-Bennett
  • Cheryle Lane
  • Jess Vooris

Promotional Sponsors

Thank you for helping us spread the word! We appreciate you and want everyone to know how amazing you are.

Instagram

Aight so boom... . Earth is still ghetto. Please f Aight so boom...
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Earth is still ghetto. Please friendly aliens, come get me and mine so we can be out.
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It's too hot outside and the gas prices are too damn high, but Beyoncé did drop new music and since it's house music, I already know how to do all the dances associated with it--Millennials stand up!! We got this summer on lock!! I plan on shaking my ass at the gas pump while big oil collects my whole paycheck that I get from the job I can't afford to release.
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Fortunately, even though we had an early b-day party for 🦁, he knows he's still only 4 years old so I call that a success.
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Had fun this past week at Lavender Languages Institute hosted by @fauwgss teaching a seminar on Quare Linguistics. We had a ball... 
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Hosting a Yard Sale at my house in ATL on Sunday, June 26th (tomorrow if you reading this in 6/25). If you're in ATL, DM me for details.
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And lastly, real talk, I'm doing alright. There is so much newness in my life and my family's life right now and I'm looking forward to sharing all the details in a few weeks. In the meantime, we gone make it! I'm grateful that I have a community around me that can hold me down.
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Wishing you all a working air conditioner, some body oil, and a second side hustle so you can afford those future Beyoncé World Tour tickets! Amen.
So I got older this past weekend AND it was Mother So I got older this past weekend AND it was Mother's Day!
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Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone. I don't typically like people playing on my phone, but I really was happy to receive all the love from friends and family.
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I have such a magnificent and beautiful life filled with the most wonderful and amazing friends and family. I'm happy to get to share my life with yall.
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Special shout out my 💍for always getting my birthdays just right.
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Also, please consider donating to #FreeBlackMamas National Bail Out. If you have even a couple dollars to spare, let's get some Mamas out of jail so they can be with their babies.
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Last, I want to share a quote from one of my favorite texts that really captures the spirit of this upcoming year for me: "I think I'm gonna leave right now because I have some things to do. Call my chauffeur. I love you, I love you all. But I got to go." - Klymaxx, "The Men All Pause" (1984)
Me? It's been a minute, but aight so boom. . I've Me? It's been a minute, but aight so boom.
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I've been doing things like going out on dates with my 💍 to drink kombucha on a Thursday evening (and home by 7:30p because I gotta get up and work in the morning). 
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I've been bagging the bags 💰. Making money related moves is typically not something I talk about on the internet, however, this is important right now because have you seen them gas prices? Right before I went to the gas pump this past week, I prayed to the Most High, Snoop Dogg, for peace and tranquility as I filled up my tank. Then I seriously considered the benefits of an electric vehicle. 
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I've been reading 📚 (check me out on Goodreads) and despite my teaching load, I've even been managing to conduct research for and write my next book. It's slow going, but it's going and I like it so far which is half the battle. 
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I've been getting into birdwatching. I've realized that half of the practice is bird listening, trying to identify a bird's song. Yes, that's right. Out here Black lady birdwatching with no shame and no binoculars yet, but I have put them on my prayer card. 🦉
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Raising my child who is almost 4 ft tall and is only 4 years old. What is happening?!? Please send help and/or size 1.5 shoes. 
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I be up in therapy because life. 
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And obviously, I'm still out here looking good.
Real talk: I was not in the Christmas spirit yeste Real talk: I was not in the Christmas spirit yesterday. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed (at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep) and I was feeling real "Grinch-looking-down-over-Whoville" BUT we managed to get a few cute pictures of the family after exchanging gifts, and despite my grinchiness, I had a bountiful, wonderful Christmas.
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Today is the first day of Kwanzaa and I was so happy to wake up Black 🖤. Because there's only TWO THINGS I GOTTA to do. Black People know exactly which two things I'm talking about. It's just ✌🏾and everything else is optional. And I'm obviously not counting making my black eyed peas and collard greens and washing all the clothes and cleaning the house before the end of the year. Those are necessary to move properly into the new year.
Still here yall. Aight so boom: . Yes, I have bags Still here yall. Aight so boom:
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Yes, I have bags under my eyes but guess what?! I'm here Baby! I made it! And I got cute today so yall finna get these photos.
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It's been a challenging couple of months, but I'm feeling a lot of gratitude for the love that's been keeping me upright, figuratively and literally from my 💍 @juliepatoolee 
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A lot of people have asked over the last few months "oh, how is it teaching in person?" My answer: it's weird. I could go into detail but you know what? I don't feel like it. Just trust me, it's weird. 
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🦁 is big yall. Almost 4'0 tall and I swear he's having a growth spurt. Had to buy baby some new pants cause he was wading in the water and I was feeling myself humming that song every time he walked in the house...
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My morning self care routine has been on point. I gave myself options: workout, meditate, or journal. I can get up and move, get up and sit, or lay down and journal (in my journaling app. I used to tell myself it wasn't really journaling if it wasn't pen/paper but that wasn't serving me so I let that go). 
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What yall doing? Where yall been?
Just two friendly neighborhood Spiders. Our tiny P Just two friendly neighborhood Spiders. Our tiny Peter Parker Spiderman told us "no pictures please."
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Lesson Plans

  • Lesson Plan: Black Women in FilmFebruary 6, 2017 - 1:00 pm
  • Nikki Lane. All Rights Reserved. Permission required for reuse.Lesson Plan: Beyoncé’s LemonadeMay 31, 2016 - 8:20 am

Crosswords

  • The Purple One: A Crossword TributeJune 25, 2016 - 10:00 am
  • Great Moments in Ratchet History: The CrosswordJune 7, 2016 - 8:20 am
  • Crossword Puzzle: Black Stuff from the 90sMay 4, 2016 - 1:23 am
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