Left of Black Nominated For Best Video Series in the Category of Science & Education in the 27th Annual Webby Awards

Left of Black, the longest-running web series at Duke University, announced today that it has been nominated for Best Video Series in the category of Science & Education in the 27th Annual Webby Awards. Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet. IADAS, which nominates and selects The Webby Award Winners, is comprised of Internet industry experts including Questlove, DJ and Producer; Tan France, Fashion Designer, Television Personality & Author; Natalie Guzman, Co-President & CMO, Savage x Fenty; Werner Vogels, CTO, Amazon; Roxane Gay, Host, The Roxane Gay Agenda; Quinta Brunson, Writer, Director and Actor; Ziwe Fumudoh, Comedian and Writer; Reshma Saujani, Founder, Girls Who Code; LeVar Burton, Actor, Podcaster and TV Host; Andy Slavit, Host, In The Bubble; Takashi Murakami, Artist; Samantha Bee, Comedian; and Tracy Chou, Founder & CEO, Block Party.

For over a decade, Left of Black has been the premiere platform to highlight the important work of scholars, artists, and activists who have furthered thought and knowledge production around the increasingly essential subject of Black Studies and its relevance to university pedagogy and the world-at-large. Left of Black has welcomed a wide range of guests including American philosopher Cornel West, artist Carrie Mae Weems, poet and scholar Fred Moten, author Marc Lamont Hill, host of NPR’s The Takeaway Melissa Harris-Perry, and distinguished professor Michael Eric Dyson, among many more.

The series was created by James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies Mark Anthony Neal in 2010 and, since 2020, has been produced at the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke.

“Nominees like ‘Left of Black’ are setting the standard for innovation and creativity on the Internet,” said Claire Graves, President of The Webby Awards. “It is an incredible achievement to be selected among the best from the nearly 14,000 entries we received this year.”

“It’s amazing to be nominated for this wonderful honor,” said series producer and director Eric Barstow who earned his MFA in Duke’s Experimental & Documentary Arts program and works as the Multimedia Director at the FHI. “Dr. Neal is an absolute luminary in his field and a fantastic interviewer, going beyond superficial conversation to give each guest a platform to shine and share their work and research. I am honored to be a part of this special show.”

As a nominee, Left of Black is also eligible to win a Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted online by fans across the globe. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, and honored in a star-studded show at Cipriani Wall Street. Winners will have an opportunity to deliver one of The Webby Awards’ famous 5-Word Speeches. Past 5-Word Speeches include: Steve Wilhite’s “It’s Pronounced “Jif” not ‘Gif’; NASA’s “Houston We Have A Webby”; and Drew Barrymore’s “Social Media’s a Wild Ride.”

About Left of Black: Left of Black is a web series featuring interviews with Black Studies scholars, artists, and activists created and hosted by the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of African and African American Studies, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, who also serves as the Chair of the African and African American Studies Department at Duke University.

About The Webby Awards: Hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times, The Webby Awards is the leading international awards organization honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites and Mobile Sites; Video; Advertising, Media and PR; Apps, Apps & Software, Social; Podcasts; Games and Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual. Established in 1996, The Webby Awards received nearly 14,000 entries from all 50 states and over 70 countries worldwide this year. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS). Sponsors and Partners of The Webby Awards include WP Engine, Canva, Verizon, Omidyar Network, NAACP, KPMG, Wall Street Journal, Podcast Movement, All Tech is Human and AIGA. Find The Webby Awards Online: webbyawards.com