Dr. Timeka N. Tounsel is an Associate Professor of Communication whose research explores Black popular culture. She is especially interested in the stories society constructs about Black women and the narratives that Black women craft about themselves, examining how these representations shape broader conversations about identity, citizenship, and cultural power.
She is the author of Branding Black Womanhood: Media Citizenship From Black Power to Black Girl Magic, which traces the evolution and commodification of Black women’s media visibility from the Black Power era to contemporary digital movements. In addition to her academic scholarship, Dr. Tounsel writes about the business of Black representation for Forbes.com.
Committed to bridging scholarship and popular culture, Dr. Tounsel frequently contributes to mainstream outlets and is co-creator of Lost Credits Pod, a podcast dedicated to examining Black girls’ representation in popular culture. Through her teaching, writing, and public engagement, she emphasizes the importance of studying media as a site of struggle and possibility, while mentoring students to critically analyze the cultural narratives that shape our world.
