Lily is a Zambian immigrant who grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. After earning her BA in Communication from Virginia Wesleyan College, she completed her MA in Humanities with a concentration in Media Studies from Old Dominion University. Her MA thesis “Must Stay Woke: Black Celebrity Voices of Dissent in the Post Post-Racial Era” examines the way black celebrities integrate black social justice movements into their personal brand in the digital age. In her doctoral work, Lily wants to investigate the way black media industry creatives challenge public sphere theory by integrating black narratives into media content such as television, film, music, podcasts and paratextually through social media dialogue with audiences. In addition to her BA and MA, Lily holds an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Social Justice and Entrepreneurship. Her research interests include black social justice movements, media representation, black celebrity, media industries and contemporary black culture as it manifests through digital media.
