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We use a new W.E.B. Du Bois documentary as a reason to rethink him as a Black first-gen student whose path runs through family responsibility, church support, Fisk College, and elite gatekeeping. We pull out what his story teaches about the hidden curriculum, non-deficit student support, and why first-gen students should see themselves as part of higher education’s legacy.

Link to the new book on Black first-gens:
https://bookstore.emerald.com/amplifying-voices-of-first-generation-black-college-students-hb-9781806862061.html

Link to the Du Bois documentary:

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/w-e-b-du-bois-documentary/34807/

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Part 2 of the Virginia Humanities series about Alexandria, Virginia.

LT and Sam talk with Dr. Thea James about growing up in Alexandria and learning to lead by questioning rules, from winning a drum major audition to building a career in emergency medicine. Her stories connect school integration, identity, and ambition to a simple belief that access and listening can change a person’s whole trajectory.

Dr. James was the first Black and the first female drum major at George Washington High School, one of the rivals of TC Williams HS in the late 1960s/early 70s. A first-generation college graduate and transfer student, she would go on to study medicine at Georgetown Medical School. Currently, she is VP of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Boston Medical Center.

• Sports media recommendation: the Jackie Robinson story

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What stories did Remember the Titans leave out? In part two of a special three-part Smart Girl series, La’Tonya “LT” Rease Miles and Sam Pinto sit down with William “Slinky” Patterson, a longtime family friend, T.C. Williams alum, and the school’s first Black drum major. Patterson takes listeners inside a turbulent era of school integration, reflecting on entering high school at just 12 years old, navigating subtle racism in the classroom, and finding refuge and healing in music. From the band room to the soundtrack of the late 1960s, Patterson offers a powerful firsthand account of an Alexandria history that extends far beyond the football field. This special series is made possible with support from Virginia Humanities.

Here's the court case that Mr. Patterson mentions: https://www.courthousenews.com/dc-circuit-tosses-child-slavery-suit-against-chocolate-giants-for-lack-of-standing/

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Think you know Remember the Titans? Think again. In this episode, Sam and LT unpack the real TC Williams story, the cheer squad’s role, and the hero Hollywood sidelined. Hear the music, rivalry, and truth that was missed in the 2000 movie. Listen now and tell us: what shocked you most?

Special thanks to our guest, Ms. Linda Lewis-Pickett.

This episode was supported by the Virginia Humanities.

https://virginiahumanities.org/

Learn more about the infamous 1971 state championship team here:

https://robertmluckett.com/

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We rewatch Remember The Titans with Dr. Andrew Sargent (West Chester University) and confront how a feel good sports movie can still center white sacrifice, flatten Black interiority, and sell a seductive colorblind story about integration. We also reconnect through grad school memories and talk about teaching film, African American literature, and cultural analysis when students arrive with strong feelings and sharper questions.

Text mentioned in this conversation:

https://www.amazon.com/Signs-Life-USA-Readings-Popular/dp/031264700X

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What happens when you can't afford to eat in college?

Sam and La'Tonya speak with Lenita Seals, LT’s cousin and the unforgettable voice behind the “Basic Needs” chapter of Smart Girl. Lenita takes us back to Williamston, North Carolina, where class shaped everything and Black women were expected to stay small.

Then the story turns to what too many first-generation college students still face: food insecurity, financial aid confusion, and the pressure to pretend you’re fine. Lenita explains how $20 was expected to last months, how hunger made studying impossible, and why pride kept her from telling family how bad it was. We connect that to today’s campus basic needs conversations, including how systems can fail students even when dining halls exist, and why student affairs leaders still underestimate hunger.

We also zoom out to culture and mythology, talking Remember the Titans, Coach Herman Boone, and what it means to hear from someone who knew him before the movie version took over.

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Sam and LT talk with Boston Celtics and WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell about turning lifelong basketball obsession into a real job after being told the dream was unrealistic. They dig into why off-court community reporting creates better access, better questions, and a more honest picture of sports culture.

Recommended links:

https://www.youtube.com/@WNBAonCLNS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xjBrTJiOk&list=PLv1Zsk99iuxAt3OJ4QBfKSVCCg0Nhs8W9

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Season two starts with a pivot. We’re still here for first-generation college and grad school life, but now we’re applying that lived experience to the stories we all watch, quote, and argue about. As two English PhDs, Sam and LT bring a sharp cultural analysis style without losing the warmth, humor, and honesty that made this show feel like a real conversation in the first place.

In this episode, they talk about the methodology shift from season one, which stayed close to La'Tonya's Smart Girl origin story, into a bigger project focused on cultural representation.

Subscribe, share this kickoff with a friend, and leave us a review. What show or film should we put under the first-gen microscope next?

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