She teaches courses in film, culture and history. She teaches Black Images in the Media, a course that examines the stereotypical images of blacks in film and television from the 1900s to the present. Her research and teaching interest include e-Black Studies, African-Americans in communication and popular culture, minority images in the media, contemporary African-American folklore and developing teaching strategies that incorporate popular culture, language and power. http://africana.uncc.edu/people/dr-debra-c-smith-phd