The Black Belt Belle

Modern Fantasy and Sci-Fi Deserve a Chance

L.M. Smith — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 00:51:18 -0500

As a fantasy and sci-fi lover, I'm so frustrated by the pervasive belief that modern fantasy is bad actually. Yes, there are aspects of modern writing that could use improvement, but I'd argue the main weaknesses in modern writing have more to do with capitalism and having to adapt to waning attention spans than the writing itself. In my view, many people's gripes with modern story telling have more to do with a hesitancy to embrace a shift from antagonist bad guys to antagonist systems, a desire to remove reality from fantasy, and an unwillingness to interrogate their own subconscious racism. Writing changes with time; let's talk about why.

This episode discusses: Start Wars Episodes 7-9; Rings of Power, The Scapegoat of Escapism, The Great Gatsby, and So Much More!

Videos referenced in this video:
Dan Doug - “Do Modern Writers Remember How to Write Fantasy.”
Anthony Gramuglia- “YouTube Critics Are Lying to You.”
Anthony Gramuglia- "No, Modern Villians Have Not Gone Downhill"
Mr. Zod- "Right-Wing Grievance Culture Posing as Literary Criticism"
Abby Cox called-“No, Tik Tok Isn’t Destroying Publishing or Books.”
Francesca Fionrantini-“What the Right Gets Wrong About Lord of the Rings”
Kavernacle-“Why the Far Right Love Lord of the Rings”

Timestamps:

1:46- How John Boyega's voice helped me find my own
6:40-Dan Doug's video

10:45- Chapter 1: Star War Episode 8 Was GOOD, actually
15:26- Criticism of Luke's self-imposed exile
19:36-Changing demographic of Star Wars fandoms
21:27-Directorial Choices

25:21-Chapter 2: Escapism, Realism, and Symbolism in Fantasy Literature
27:13-Escapist Fantasy to Escape Trauma and Accountability
30:52-My Blackness Needs a Backstory
37:44- Americans Can't Read
40:00- Blade Runner
45:15- Gatsby and Paired Passages to teach how Symbolism and Realism work together
59:16- A lot of Modern Writing is Trash, but Older Writing is Too

1:02:47- Chapter 3: The Dangers in Symbolic Writing
1:04:27- The Problem with Palantir
1:07:03- Orc Babies and Authorial Intent

1:15:56-Final Thoughts
1:18:35-Book Recommendations

Has Maverick City Music Lost the Plot? Do Black Folks Hate Socialism? Where is All the Protest Music?- My Thoughts on Gospel, CCM, Protest Music, Cowboy Carter, and SO MUCH MORE!

L.M. Smith — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:21:53 -0500

The controversy surrounding Maverick City Music and the capital gains in the spiritual realm have me triggered! But that's not all we'll discuss in this episode. Episode 8 of The Black Belt Belle covers plenty of musical topics and so much more!

Black Representation
AI, Digital Blackface, and Black Women- 2:35
T.S. Madison, Trans Women, and Dark-Skinned Women- 15:12

Bookish Talk
Silver Elite and How it Exposes Racism in Publishing- 27:13
Why I Don't "Review" Black Books-39:39
Anti-Intellectualism in Bookish Spaces and Youth- 42:11

Politics
The New York Mayoral Race and Black Folks Hate Socialism?- 45:19

Music
Cowboy Carter- 58:59
Regional Rap Rises Again?- 1:17:49
The Carter 6- 1:22:29
Protest Music- 1:33:33
Maverick City Music, CCM, and Gospel- 1:51:39
The Bible and Beowulf- 2:28:10

Random Thoughts
Blondeness and Blush- 2:39:52
Republican Makeup and Suzanne Lambert- 2:45:34
Having Babies Over 40- 2:46:30
Chloe Bailey- 2:49:26

Snape is Black and I Couldn't Be Happier: How Color Could Help Save the Soul of Harry Potter

L.M. Smith — Sat, 19 Apr 2025 17:59:08 -0500

Snape is Black. I couldn't be more thrilled. Now, if you make Hermione mixed, you have the right portion to fix some of Rowling's mistakes.

Listen in as we go on a journey to discover 1) why retconning is ok and authorial intent always rules the day, 2) how a Black Snape and a Mixed-Race Hermione can address the lack of race in a racist society, and 3) the failure of S.P.E.W. We touch on everything from Gone With the Wind, Tolkien and the Hobbit, transphobia, elevating Black stories, the lack of character depth, to Rowling's neoliberalism. Harry Potter isn't a perfect story, but the potential in it is endless...

Hop on your broomstick and come along!...

We All Failed Na'Ziyah: Fiction, Fact, Colorism, and Community in the Murder of Na'Ziyah Harris

L.M. Smith — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:24:03 -0500

Na'Ziyah Harris was a 13-year-old girl who was groomed, raped, and murdered by Jarvis Butts, a 42-year-old repeatedly convicted monster. Unfortunately, her story is not unique, but it is teachable tragedy in the ways that community, colorism, adultification, and generational curses all combined and contributed to this horrific act.

Trigger warnings: Sexual assault, rape, grooming, murder, domestic abuse

Post-Inauguration Thoughts: Snowed In, Fed Up, and Where to Go Now

L.M. Smith — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 17:49:05 -0600

January is lasting 6 months, I'm snowed in, and Trump's in office. Needless to say, there's a lot going on...

Tune in for my rant about Southerners and Snow days, observations of the first 5 days of Trump's presidency, and specific suggestions for where we go from here. I had some whiskey while recording it...I'd suggest you'd get a drink too...

Straighten Up and Fly Right: What the Rise of the Right Means for Natural Hair, Straight Hair Naturals, True Black Girl Magic, and Self-Love in the Time of Hate

L.M. Smith — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 20:04:31 -0600

Conservatives, Straight hair, and Self-hate OH MY! The natural hair movement has been stalled for a while now, but is the new political order the final bell's toll? On this episode, I discuss my observations about the rise of the straight-hair naturals, The "Gotta Be Me" Podcast controversy, the Red Pill manosphere's challenge to (Black) women, Tignon Laws, and so much more! Grab and drink and listen on wash day :)

Diversifying Black Femininity: Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sarah Baartman, and Sojourner Truth

L.M. Smith — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 20:53:29 -0600

I'm fast approaching forty, and I still have days where I'm questioning whether my outfit looks too masculine. I have spent years questioning what is femininity, and specifically, what is BLACK femininity and why does it look and feel so different from White femininity? Listen as I discuss a few pivotal moments in my childhood that molded and shifted my view of my own femininity. Along the way, we'll discuss Janet Jackson, The Stingettes, Sojourner Truth, and Sarah Baartman (The Hottentot Venus).

The Beyoncé Bowl, Plastic Off the Sofa, and The Stono Rebellion

L.M. Smith — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 17:13:00 -0600

I watched the Beyonce Bowl, and like most of the Beyhive, I have thoughts and theories. Tune in for my rambling string of consciousness as I focus on two things that really incited me to chorus.

This "Unbuttoned" version of the Black Belt Belle pairs well with Episode 1 entitled "No Beyoncé, the Music Isn't Enough: We Need the Visuals"...and your favorite beverage of course!

We Need the Visuals, Beyoncé!: Surviving the Apocalypse, Afro-Futurism, Octavia Butler, and the Need for Black Utopias

L.M. Smith — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 13:52:51 -0600

Beyoncé told us "Shut the hell up about the visuals," and I am distraught! Follow along as I explore and expound on the missed opportunity for Afro Futurism and the BIGGEST criticism I have of Cowboy Carter that she could have fixed with a visual album.

In this episode, I discuss how I use Beyoncé in my African American Studies course, and why I had such a vested interest in seeing the album visually. In the process, I discuss Octavia Butler, why Beyoncé's Blackbirds deserve justice, and why Afro-futurism needs a resurgence in popular American culture.