This week, Brittany chats with iconic journalist, magazine editor, and novelist, Danyel Smith, about the release of her new book, Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop. From celebrating the enduring impact of Phillis Wheatley's poetry to giving insight into Whitney Houston's relationship with Bobby Brown - there's a little something for everyone. And to top it all off, Danyel's book is not just a love letter to Black women but a memoir of how these Black women in particular have showered her life with love, ambition, and empathy through their gifts.

Shine Bright with Danyel Smith

Each week, BFFs and cultural critics Brittany and Eric deconstruct the nerdier side of pop culture. Joined by a rotating cast of artists, thinkers, and innovators, For Colored Nerds peels back the layers of Black culture we rarely discuss in mixed company.

Society & Culture

Personal Journals

History

Philosophy

Places & Travel

If you’ve been listening to our last few episodes, you’ll know we’ve had the hosts of Vibe Check – Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, & Zach Stafford – on the show to do the ultimate friendship test with Brittany and Eric. Now that FCN has ended, Vibe Check has become our go-to podcast for the latest in news, pop culture, and politics. In this unaired clip, the Vibe Check trio give their unfiltered thoughts on that controversial NYTimes Popeyes nuptial article.

Vibe Check’s Thoughts on That NYTimes Popeyes Love Story

This week, we're passing the mic to our very own Brittany Luse. As you all know, Brittany is the new host of NPR's It's Been a Minute. And for her debut episode, she interviewed Georgia gubernatorial candidate, Stacey Abrams. Since it's Election Day, we thought this would be the perfect time to drop her interview with Abrams on our feed.

Stacey Abrams is Running Against History

For the final episode of For Colored Nerds, Brittany and Eric rank the best series finales of all time.

RANKED: Series Finales

In this penultimate episode of For Colored Nerds, Brittany, Eric, and host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, Aisha Harris, go deep. This week, they discuss one of the most beloved, bankable, and now, controversial Black movie stars of all-time: Will Smith. This isn’t just about The Slap or “the entanglement.” It’s about Will’s entire relationship to celebrity. How his career, desires, and personal branding implicates more about the idea of celebrity as a whole than we previously thought.

Will Smith, The Slap, and the Death of Celebrity with Aisha Harris

Tony Soprano. Walter White. Don Draper. Stringer Bell. Throughout the years, viewers have followed the trials, tribulations, and bad behavior from men we love to hate. These protagonists tend to be "relate-able" white (sometimes Black!) men who are chasing power, money, success, or any combination of those things. But in the past few years, we've seen the Black female antihero emerge. This week, Brittany and Eric divulge two of their favorite Black female antiheros of the moment.

Shine Bright with Danyel Smith

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