MMUF PhD Jacqueline Stewart Will Be Turner Classic Movies' First African-American Host

MMUF PhD and University of Chicago Professor of Cinema and Media Studies Jacqueline Stewart has been chosen as the newest host on cable television's Turner Classic Movies. Professor Stewart, who was selected as an MMUF fellow at Stanford University and earned her PhD in English from the University of Chicago, will host TCM's silent-movie program "Silent Sunday NIghts" beginning on September 15th; she will be the network's first African-American host. Among the first films Professor Stewart will host will be Symbol of the Unconquered, a 1920 film by Oscar Micheaux, one of the pioneers of African-American filmmaking. TCM's senior vice president of marketing says of Professor Stewart's hire that "with Jacqueline's guidance, we're going to do more to attend to Oscar Micheauxs of the world." Of her new role, Professor Stewart herself says, "It's important for all viewers of TCM to recognize that expertise comes in many different forms, many different colors. I'm especially excited about the kinds of conversations that can emerge because of the unique perspective that I can bring as a host." In addition to her hosting duties and faculty work, Professor Stewart currently serves on the National Film Preservation Board and is the author of the 2005 book Migrating to the Movies: Cinema and Black Urban Modernity.