Shayna Black, the protagonist in Professor Donnetrice Allison's TV script, begins her first teaching job at a predominantly white rural American institution.
Despite her Ph.D., she is recognized for her glowing skin rather than her qualifications. The story is based on Allison's real experiences as a young university professor in the 1990s.
"Teaching While Black" follows Shayna as she navigates teaching, love life, and the tenure process. The pilot will be screened at 5 p.m., Friday, April 14, at Stockton Atlantic City's John F. Scarpa Academic Center and is open to the public.
Allison, a professor of Communication Studies and Africana Studies at Stockton University, began writing the script in 2018. To capture the millennial perspective, she sought input from Aaron Moss, assistant professor of Theater/Directing at Stockton.
Together, they refined the script and submitted it to contests, becoming semifinalists in a Diverse Voices screenwriting contest. Although the story addresses serious issues, it is presented as a comedy, making it easier for viewers to absorb the topics.
Once they decided to film the pilot, Allison and Moss conducted a casting call, selecting actress Nedge Victome to play Shayna Black. They filmed the pilot over ten days in the summer of 2022, primarily at Stockton's Galloway campus, involving current and former students in various roles.
Allison and Moss hope to eventually share the series on major platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or HBO. They have written two episodes and planned five seasons, each corresponding to the tenure process in higher education. This year, the dramedy has been selected for screening across Canada during the International Black & Diversity Film Festival and is a finalist for Best Series Plot in the New York International Film Awards.
Stockton University, ranked among the top public universities in the nation, offers more than 160 undergraduate and graduate programs to over 9,000 students. Learn more at stockton.edu.
