The fifth and final episode of the Talking Black in America series, produced by the Language and Life Project at NC State, was nominated for an Emmy in the historical documentary category at the Southeast Regional Emmy Awards on May 16. This marks the series’ fourth nomination, following one previous win.

Talking Black in America – Social Justice, the series’ concluding installment, highlights the core themes and concerns that have shaped the project from its inception. It explores linguistic discrimination and its lifelong effects on Black Language speakers in education, employment, housing, healthcare, the legal system and more. The episode also honors Black Language as a source of strength, solidarity and a significant influence on American and global cultures.

Earlier episodes have covered Black ASL, a unique dialect of American Sign Language developed within historically segregated African American Deaf communities; the West African and diasporic origins of African American Language and society; and performance traditions such as blues, spirituals, spoken word, preaching, comedy, and hip-hop. These works have served as tools for survival, liberation and community within the Black population.

The series’ debut feature-length film, titled Talking Black in America, won an Emmy in the documentary/cultural category at the Midsouth Regional Emmy Awards in 2020.

The Language and Life Project at NC State is a nonprofit outreach education initiative dedicated to documenting and celebrating the nation’s dialects, languages, and cultures, and sharing them through books, classes, online media, and award-winning documentaries. Its portfolio has earned six Emmy nominations and two wins, including awards for the first episode of Talking Black in America and First Language: The Race to Save Cherokee.

Walt Wolfram, the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of English at NC State’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, directs the nonprofit. He also serves as executive producer of the documentaries, including the Talking Black in America series. They are produced and directed by Neal Hutcheson and Danica Cullinan and funded by the National Science Foundation.