Dr. Akil Fletcher
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theblackblackmage.bsky.social
Dr. Akil Fletcher
@theblackblackmage.bsky.social
Anthropology Ph.D. | Postdoc & Lecturer at Princeton University | Studies Black gaming communities| Gamer | Has probably seen all of your favorite anime
It is the end of an era! For those who didn't know, I am in my last year of my postdoc at Princeton, and I am currently teaching "Gaming Blackness" here for the final time. Yesterday, I had Black Pokémon community leader Michelangelo Hayes come talk about his work with my class as a our final guest!
November 13, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Hey folks, I was lucky enough to be invited onto Ashley ML Guajardo (Brown)'s stream/podcast, The Work Left Behind. If you're free Thursday night at 9 pm EST, feel free to stop by!

Twitch twitch.tv/professor_ashley
YouTube www.youtube.com/@TheResearch...
Spotify open.spotify.com/show/6pATELL...
October 6, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I don't know who needs to hear this, but clarity is not the absence of rigor.

It is okay to write for the homies back home.
September 16, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Reposted by Dr. Akil Fletcher
Emerging Voices in Black Games @thegamesinstitute.bsky.social from last year. We had a moment to discuss this great panel featuring @theblackblackmage.bsky.social, Cyan DeVeux, and Steven Dashiell. #brocku www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4YX...
Emerging Voices in Black Games Studies [FULL GUEST LECTURE]
YouTube video by TheGamesInstitute
www.youtube.com
August 28, 2025 at 6:38 PM
I can not express the immense joy I had conducting research at The Strong Museum of Play. Not only did I get to rummage through the history of video games, but I also beat multiple high scores for Dance Dance Revolution.

For those who can, I recommend visiting the space as soon as you can!
August 15, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Post
One of the best things @marvel-rivals.bsky.social did was use Demon Days Psylocke (a Japanese woman named Sai), instead of using the 616 Psylocke, who was a British woman inhabiting a Japanese woman's body, because... comics.
July 28, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I have been told I don't sing my praises enough, so here is today's win.

I just found out that my classes, Gaming Blackness and Digital Anthropology, are not only ranked at the top of the Anthropology department but are also among the highest-rated courses at Princeton University.
July 23, 2025 at 6:37 PM
As DiGRA 25 comes to a close, I want to thank everyone who took time out of their day to attend our workshop Black and Latine Game Studies: Assemblages of Power.

Big shout out to Carlos Kelly, Regina Mills, and @kishonna.bsky.social for being amazing partners in this project!
July 6, 2025 at 10:18 AM
As we all know, moving is hard, and relocation wasn't easy on my oldest kid. But a couple of months ago she decided she wanted to earn student of the month and today she finally achieved that!! I AM SO PROUD OF MY BABY GIRL!
June 16, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Not gonna lie. These midnight releases are starting to destroy me... but oh well, it's Mario time!
June 5, 2025 at 4:57 AM
Reposted by Dr. Akil Fletcher
excited to get my hands on a copy of @nassimparvin.bsky.social and Neda Atanasoski's new (and very good looking) @dukepress.bsky.social book, Technocreep and the Politics of Things Not Seen. i've got a chapter in there offering some preliminary thoughts on transductive labor in vocal biomarker AI
May 31, 2025 at 9:58 PM
When you do work that challenges the norm, academia can, at times, feel isolated. But, I felt nothing but love and joy at the 2025 Association of Black Anthropologist Conference in Dakar, Senegal.

Here's to reinvigoration! So expect new pieces from me soon! #Blackanthropology #videogamesinanthro
May 21, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Day 1 of the Global Black Anthro conference in Senegal! #anthropologist #anthropology
May 15, 2025 at 5:37 PM
I am disillusioned... not defeated. #academia
May 15, 2025 at 12:33 PM
I always love the games at the Charles de gaulle airport!
May 14, 2025 at 1:39 PM
I recently found out that one of the undergraduate students I helped mentor got into his dream master's program at Stanford!

While times may be tough, I am happy to see how support can help lift one another.
May 6, 2025 at 3:52 PM
April 24, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Hey folks! If you're free tonight, feel free to join me for the Nevada Humanities stream, where I will be playing League of Legends and discussing Blackness and representation in gaming!

Check the link for time!

www.nevadahumanities.org/events/human...
Black Gaming Communities and Practices with Akil Fletcher — Nevada Humanities
April 24, 2025 Online - Twitch
www.nevadahumanities.org
April 24, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Nintendo delaying the pre-order for the Switch 2 due to Trump's tariffs is a wonderful example that video games have always been political...
April 4, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Hey folks, My Magfest talk "Masks Off: How video games tell non-Black stories with Black faces" was uploaded to youtube!
Feel free to check it out here:

youtu.be/lNNzjuc0dEM?...
MAGFest 2025: Masks Off - How Video Games Tell Non-Black Stories with Black Faces
YouTube video by MAGFest
youtu.be
April 3, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I'm not ashamed to admit that the only game on the Switch 2 Direct that got me to shout at the top of my lungs was the new Kirby Air Riders.

I put hundreds of hours into Kirby Air Ride when I was kid, just collecting pieces of Dragoon and flying around. We up!
a cartoon drawing of kirby with the name natsuring0 on the bottom
ALT: a cartoon drawing of kirby with the name natsuring0 on the bottom
media.tenor.com
April 3, 2025 at 12:41 PM
The #NintendoSwitch2 is going to bring me unbridled joy in these dark times. I can't wait to play the new games with my kids and students!

Be warned I am going to be aggressively disrespectful in Mario Kart World....
April 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Hey folks! Feel free to join me for my first Assassin's Creed Shadows playthrough! It's going live now!

www.twitch.tv/theblackblac...
TheBlackBlackMage - Twitch
Assassin Creed Shadows playthrough with academic commentary
www.twitch.tv
March 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Ok, I'm finally going to rip off the bandage and give this streaming thing a shot!
www.twitch.tv/theblackblac...

If you're available, feel free to join me tomorrow, Saturday, at 3:00 p.m., where I will be streaming my playthrough of Assassin's Creed Shadows.
(I'll try not to swear)
TheBlackBlackMage - Twitch
A tired Black dad with an Anthropology Ph.D. and loves gaming!
www.twitch.tv
March 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Since I will be playing Assassin's Creed Shadows for the first time tonight, I figured it would be a good time to reshare this article I co-authored with Kimberly Hassel and John G Russel!

If there is interest, I may consider streaming my playthrough!

criticalasianstudies.org/commentary/2...
Commentary | Kimberly Hassel, Akil Fletcher, and John G. Russell, Stranger Than Fiction?: Yasuke and the Assassin’s Creed: Shadows Controversy — Critical Asian Studies
Introduction “Nothing is true; everything is permitted.” — Assassin’s maxim, Assassin’s Creed On May 15th, 2024, video game publisher Ubisoft released the trailer for the anticipated next in...
criticalasianstudies.org
March 20, 2025 at 6:36 PM