The University of California, Santa Barbara and Tuskegee University, a historically Black educational institution in Alabama, have launched a new summer scholars program aimed at uplifting Black representation in television screenwriting.
Ten students from Tuskegee University will travel to the UC Santa Barbara campus and spend the summer learning about screenwriting, media production, cinematography, sound, and editing. There will be a particular focus on screenwriting principles such as researching and writing narrative voices and story structure. Participating students will be exposed to hands-on learning opportunities, lectures from industry leaders, and tours of studios in Los Angeles.
The new partnership opens the door for an expanded film and television studies curriculum at Tuskegee University. The historically Black university will launch a film and media studies concentration in the upcoming fall semester, with plans to establish a full bachelor’s degree program within the next two years.
