About
About Me
Dr. Olutoyosi “Toyo” Aboderin earned her B.A. in Communication Studies with a minor in Africana Studies before completing both her M.A. and Ph.D. in Africology and African American Studies.
Her dissertation, How to Get Away with Feminist Propaganda, examined Black relationships and gender ideology in some of the most-watched Black women-led series of 2016, including Insecure.
Today, she is an Assistant Professor of History and Africana Studies at the University of San Diego, where her work intentionally bridges scholarship, storytelling, and pop culture.
She teaches courses such as “Black History in American Cinema” and “Race, Gender, and Media,” with research that centers Black representation, womanhood, and relationships.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Aboderin shares her passion for Black film and television through satirical humor and unfiltered transparency, much like Insecure itself.
Whether on screen, in writing, or during lectures, she invites others to think critically, feel deeply, and find joy in the richness of Black stories.
