In December 1993, three people were murdered in Humboldt, Nebraska: Brandon Teena, Lisa Lambert, and Philip DeVine. While Brandon Teena's story became nationally known, Philip DeVine a twenty-two-year-old Black man was nearly erased from public memory.

This episode centers Philip DeVine's life, presence, and death, and examines how race, media framing, and popular culture shaped which victims were remembered and which were forgotten.

In this episode, we explore:
• Who Philip DeVine was and why he was in the home
• The events of December 31, 1993
• How the legal system documented all three victims
• How Philip was removed from national storytelling
• The role of race in victim erasure
• Why restoring Philip's name matters today

All resources used to build this story are listed in the show notes so you can explore this further.

New episodes of Beyond the Table are released every Tuesday.

Follow the show on Instagram: @AmandaPaints1214

Tictok: beyondthetablepod
Email: beyondthetablecast@gmail.com

Journalism and Reporting
• NBC News — "Man pleads guilty in teen lesbian's slaying"
• Associated Press (AP) — Coverage of the murders, arrests, and trials
• Lincoln Journal Star — Local reporting on the 1993 triple homicide
• Omaha World-Herald — Trial and sentencing coverage

Documentaries
• The Brandon Teena Story (1998) — Documentary that references the full case
• Boys Don't Cry (1999) — Referenced for cultural context and erasure analysis

Academic and Cultural Analysis
• C. Riley Snorton — Black on Both Sides
• Jack Halberstam — In a Queer Time and Place

Written and produced by Amanda Clemons

© 2025 Beyond the Table. All rights reserved

In this episode, we explore the rise and fall of the Black mall one of the most important and overlooked cultural spaces in late twentieth-century America. From segregation-era restrictions to the emergence of malls as Black social hubs in the 1980s and 1990s, this episode traces how Black consumers reshaped retail, identity, and community across generations.

We take you through the history of restricted access, postwar suburbanization, the migration of Black families into new commercial spaces, and the cultural energy that made malls feel like community centers, fashion runways, and social worlds.

We also look at the economic forces that led to mall decline and what remains culturally, even after the escalators stopped.

New episodes of Beyond the Table release every Tuesday.

Follow the show on Instagram: @AmandaPaints1214

Tictok: beyondthetablepod
Email: beyondthetablecast@gmail.com

• Business Insider — "The rise and fall of the American Shopping Mall"

• Brookings Institution - Black Buying Power

• Atlas Obscura — "The Life and Death of the American Mall"

• Forbes - "It's the End of the Mall As We Know It ... And I Feel Fine"

Written and produced by Amanda Clemons

© 2025 Beyond the Table. All rights reserved

In May 2003, fifteen-year-old Sakia Gunn a Black lesbian girl from Newark was murdered in an act of homophobic violence that most of the nation never heard about. This true crime episode centers her humanity, her courage, and the community that refused to let her story disappear.

In this victim-centered true crime episode, we explore:
• Newark's queer youth culture in the early 2000s
• Who Sakia was before the violence
• The events of that night and the immediate aftermath
• The media's near-total silence
• The community response and marches
• How Sakia's death shaped visibility, advocacy, and safety for Black LGBTQ youth

New episodes of Beyond the Table release every Tuesday.

Follow the show on Instagram: @BeyondTableShow
Email: beyondthetablecast@gmail.com

If this episode moved you, please rate the show and share it. That support helps this work reach more listeners.

• Out In Jersey — "Remembering Sakia Gunn"
A reflective community piece honoring Sakia's life, her identity, and the legacy she left in New Jersey's LGBTQ community.

• The Murder of Sakia Gunn and LGBT Anti-Violence Mobilization
An academic analysis exploring how Sakia's death shaped queer mobilization, community safety efforts, and political responses to anti-LGBTQ violence.

• NBC — "Man pleads guilty in teen lesbian's slaying"
A national news report covering the plea, legal outcome, and official statements regarding Sakia's case.

• Queer Newark Oral History Project — Rutgers University
A digital archive preserving oral histories, community memory, and Newark LGBTQ history, including reflections connected to Sakia's impact.

• The Advocate — Remembering Sakia
Coverage from a national LGBTQ publication highlighting how Sakia's murder affected queer youth, local organizing, and community grief.

Written and produced by Amanda Clemons
© 2025 Beyond the Table. All rights reserved.