05/08/2025
๐๐จ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐คโ: ๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ & ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ซ, ๐๐๐๐ & ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐
Join host Tchiyiwe Chihana on African Voices Platform for a riveting conversation with Dr Maisha Wester, scholar of Gothic literature, horror film, and critical race theory and Sheffield-based writer and Dig Where You Stand Director, Desiree Reynolds. They dive deep into Dr Westerโs groundbreaking new walking-simulation game Coded Black, which uses immersive media to expose anti-Black rhetoric and the erasure of Black humanity.
In this interview, youโll discover:
๐ฎ Why gaming? How and why Dr. Wester chose interactive media to translate complex academic research into an accessible, emotionally powerful experience.
Inside โCoded Blackโ A behind-the-scenes look at the gameโs design philosophy and how virtual reality can reshape our understanding of racial narratives.
๐ Bridging disciplines The interdisciplinary insights, from American literature to African American cultural studies, that inform Dr. Westerโs work on Gothic and horror genres.
Voices & Impact What Desiree Reynolds brings to the conversation as a Sheffield writer, who contributed to the Coded Black's narrative and how this project aims to spark critical discussions among scholars, activists, gamers, and general audiences alike.
Institutional challenges reflections on Dr Westerโs recent contract non-renewal at the University of Sheffield, and what it reveals about race, equity, and support for culturally charged scholarship.
๐ Looking ahead plans for evaluating โCoded Blackโsโ impact, future collaborations, and advice for emerging academics and creatives seeking to transform theory into engaging digital narratives.
