In late September 2020, just months after the violent Black Lives Matter protest in Birmingham, Samford University announced, "New Courses Will Address African American Experience, Race in Popular Media."
The announcement quoted Samford University's Howard College of Arts and Sciences Dean Tim Hall's response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery: "The events of the past several weeks have riveted our attention upon the undeniable reality of the racism that pervades our communities and distorts our perception of neighbors who are created in the image of God."
One of the classes Samford began offering was described as an "upper-level course on Race in Popular Culture and Media" taught by Communication Studies professor Niya Pickett Miller.
The description from the university stated: "Students will be challenged to understand how Black/African Americans utilize popular media to reveal and resist strategic racism and the racialized microaggressions they experience. Moreover, students will consider their personal and society's participation with and consumption of Black-themed popular culture and media, think critically about the influence of popular culture and contemplate meaningful action towards dismantling systemic anti-Black racism in their own cultural spaces."
In February 2024, Miller published two pieces in a special edition of "Feminist Pedagogy," an academic journal focusing on "approaches to the classroom that place questions of power, inequality, and justice at the center of teaching and that transcend disciplinary boundaries" in higher education. The edition was titled "Real #HotGirl Sh*T: Megan Thee Stallion & Mediated Hip Hop, Black Feminist and Communication Pedagogy."
The title is a reference to Megan Thee Stallion's hit song "Hot Girl Summer."
Miller's contributions included what the journal described as a "Critical Commentary" piece titled "Hot Girl Teaching' in A Faith-Based Environment."
She also co-wrote a proposed syllabus with two others, including Gheni Platenburg, who was at Auburn University at the time of its publication.
In her commentary piece, Miller explains that:
“Institutionally, I have support for the race, gender, and culture-themed courses I teach. Still, I understand that faith-based universities may encourage critical thinking, but they also prioritize guiding students toward specific conclusions based on their religious beliefs. Many of my students come with an expectation for learning that upholds conventional Christian values and conservative ideological views. This is likely because they have not reconciled the difference between society’s ideological divisions and those they were raised with, their critical thoughts, and exposure to new ideas from college.”
She describes praying before her courses begin and comparing Megan Thee Stallions' provocative lyrics and hyper-sexuality to biblical characters:
“I always start the semester with prayer and connect fundament feminist elements to broad Christian ideas about liberating the oppressed, bringing wholeness to individuals and communities, dismantling social hierarchies and privilege, breaking power structures, and restoring justice. Also, living under grace and universal respect for all is centered.
The emphasis on all includes lifestyles and practices different from the students. To make it palatable, women from the Bible (e.g., Deborah, Rahab, Esther) who influenced the hegemonic-masculine ancient world with their suggestive feminist tendencies and radical acts are discussed. Often, this helps to defuse concerns about a hidden agenda to challenge biblical principles in class and clarify my stance on “hot girl” (feminist) teaching in faith-based environments. Despite negative stereotypes of feminist professors, openness about our positions can empower students who identify as feminists, those considering doing so, and those who are unsure about their perspective of feminism."
In the eight-week syllabus, Miller and Platenburg wrote, "Black female rappers, such as Megan Thee Stallion, born Megan Pete, use song lyrics, music videos, and social media to rupture the master narrative of Black women being angry; uneducated, filthy, undesirable, uncouth, and hypersexual. Megan and others use their platforms to reject the labels of oppressors and reclaim and reframe Black women as unapologetic leaders, cultural tastemakers, and pleasure activists who are also worthy of love and adoration. The works located in this syllabus confront distortions about Black women."
Subsections of the syllabus include titles such as "Hip-Hop Feminism," "Fatness and Resistance," "Trust A Big Butt and A Smile," "Twerk Something," and "Black women navigating the Academy and Centering their Sexuality."
Samford University did not return a request for comment.
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