Smart Girl

La'Tonya Rease Miles

Just two (or more nerds) talking about about all things first-gen in pop culture and mass media.  The title comes from La'Tonya's memoir, which is all about fandoms and finding your passion in education.  Sam, her bestie, talked her into this podcast. This podcast is brought to you by My Tribe Media. https://adeii.health/ahf-mtm More about Smart Girl (the book): https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  1. 11h ago

    Breaking Rules And Leading The Band In Alexandria feat. Thea James

    Send us Fan Mail Part 2 of the Virginia Humanities series about Alexandria, Virginia.   LT and Sam talk with Dr. Thea James about growing up in Alexandria and learning to lead by questioning rules, from winning a drum major audition to building a career in emergency medicine. Her stories connect school integration, identity, and ambition to a simple belief that access and listening can change a person’s whole trajectory. Dr. James was the first Black and the first female drum major at George Washington High School, one of the rivals of TC Williams HS in the late 1960s/early 70s.   A first-generation college graduate and transfer student, she would go on to study medicine at Georgetown Medical School.  Currently, she is VP of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer at Boston Medical Center.  • Sports media recommendation: the Jackie Robinson story Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  2. Jul 24

    "I'm the drum major in a different way" feat William Patterson

    Send us Fan Mail What stories did Remember the Titans leave out? In part two of a special three-part Smart Girl series, La’Tonya “LT” Rease Miles and Sam Pinto sit down with William “Slinky” Patterson, a longtime family friend, T.C. Williams alum, and the school’s first Black drum major. Patterson takes listeners inside a turbulent era of school integration, reflecting on entering high school at just 12 years old, navigating subtle racism in the classroom, and finding refuge and healing in music. From the band room to the soundtrack of the late 1960s, Patterson offers a powerful firsthand account of an Alexandria history that extends far beyond the football field. This special series is made possible with support from Virginia Humanities. Here's the court case that Mr. Patterson mentions: https://www.courthousenews.com/dc-circuit-tosses-child-slavery-suit-against-chocolate-giants-for-lack-of-standing/ Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  3. Jul 10

    Beyond Remember The Titans: Cheerleaders, Culture, And Community At TC Williams feat Linda Lewis

    Send us Fan Mail Think you know Remember the Titans? Think again. In this episode, Sam and LT unpack the real TC Williams story, the cheer squad’s role, and the hero Hollywood sidelined. Hear the music, rivalry, and truth that was missed in the 2000 movie. Listen now and tell us: what shocked you most? Special thanks to our guest, Ms. Linda Lewis-Pickett. This episode was supported by the Virginia Humanities.  https://virginiahumanities.org/ Learn more about the infamous 1971 state championship team here: https://robertmluckett.com/ Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  4. Jun 26

    Hate-Watching Remember The Titans feat Andrew Sargent

    Send us Fan Mail We rewatch Remember The Titans with Dr. Andrew Sargent (West Chester University) and confront how a feel good sports movie can still center white sacrifice, flatten Black interiority, and sell a seductive colorblind story about integration. We also reconnect through grad school memories and talk about teaching film, African American literature, and cultural analysis when students arrive with strong feelings and sharper questions.  Text mentioned in this conversation:  https://www.amazon.com/Signs-Life-USA-Readings-Popular/dp/031264700X Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  5. Jun 12

    Don't Call it a Comeback: Food Insecurity and the Hidden Costs of College feat. Lenita Seals

    Send us Fan Mail What happens when you can't afford to eat in college? Sam and La'Tonya speak with Lenita Seals, LT’s cousin and the unforgettable voice behind the “Basic Needs” chapter of Smart Girl. Lenita takes us back to Williamston, North Carolina, where class shaped everything and Black women were expected to stay small.  Then the story turns to what too many first-generation college students still face: food insecurity, financial aid confusion, and the pressure to pretend you’re fine. Lenita explains how $20 was expected to last months, how hunger made studying impossible, and why pride kept her from telling family how bad it was. We connect that to today’s campus basic needs conversations, including how systems can fail students even when dining halls exist, and why student affairs leaders still underestimate hunger. We also zoom out to culture and mythology, talking Remember the Titans, Coach Herman Boone, and what it means to hear from someone who knew him before the movie version took over.  Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  6. May 29

    Shooting Your Shot: The Fangirl episode feat. Noa Dalzell, CLNS Media

    Send us Fan Mail Sam and LT talk with Boston Celtics and WNBA reporter Noa Dalzell about turning lifelong basketball obsession into a real job after being told the dream was unrealistic. They dig into why off-court community reporting creates better access, better questions, and a more honest picture of sports culture. Recommended links: https://www.youtube.com/@WNBAonCLNS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1xjBrTJiOk&list=PLv1Zsk99iuxAt3OJ4QBfKSVCCg0Nhs8W9 Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  7. May 15

    Season Two Kickoff: Just Two Nerds Talking Shit

    Send us Fan Mail Season two starts with a pivot. We’re still here for first-generation college and grad school life, but now we’re applying that lived experience to the stories we all watch, quote, and argue about. As two English PhDs, Sam and LT bring a sharp cultural analysis style without losing the warmth, humor, and honesty that made this show feel like a real conversation in the first place. In this episode, they talk about the methodology shift from season one, which stayed close to La'Tonya's Smart Girl origin story, into a bigger project focused on cultural representation. Subscribe, share this kickoff with a friend, and leave us a review. What show or film should we put under the first-gen microscope next? Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

  8. Feb 13 ·  Bonus

    Second Drink! The First Gen & Juice episode feat. Martha Enciso (BONUS episode)

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode, LT and Sam go behind the scenes of First Gen & Juice, a practitioner-driven anthology that turns pop culture, such as Barbie, Oppenheimer, K-pop, comics, Tupac, even The Godfather, into ready-to-use lessons for classrooms, advising, and staff development. Born from a standing-room-only conference session, the book responds to a simple but urgent request from educators: don’t just tell us why pop culture works, show us how. We talk with co-editor Martha Enciso about advising offices lined with action figures, writing classes built on cinematic analysis, and why confidence is often the missing ingredient in first-gen student writing. Martha breaks down how cultural touchstones lower defenses in hard conversations, while LT unpacks the editorial blueprint that makes this book so usable: every chapter includes activities, prompts, or week-by-week plans you can copy, remix, and teach tomorrow.   The only homework: buy the book: https://adeii.health/first-gen-and-juice-exploring-first-gen-college-student-narratives-in-pop-culture-and-mass-media Go here for the Smart Girl experience: https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

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About

Just two (or more nerds) talking about about all things first-gen in pop culture and mass media.  The title comes from La'Tonya's memoir, which is all about fandoms and finding your passion in education.  Sam, her bestie, talked her into this podcast. This podcast is brought to you by My Tribe Media. https://adeii.health/ahf-mtm More about Smart Girl (the book): https://www.smartgirlbook.com/

Information

  • Creator
    La'Tonya Rease Miles
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Smart Girl
  • Show Website
    Smart Girl