Loyola University of Maryland will premiere its short film series, “The Story, Context, and Lived Experiences of Black Entrepreneurship,” at Loyola’s McManus Theater on Monday, October 3, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. . Created by Loyola faculty on location in Baltimore, his five short films capture the personal stories and experiences of black entrepreneurs in Baltimore.

The film features interviews with entrepreneurs along with footage of their businesses and surrounding communities that have long been subject to anti-black structural inequality. This series is the culmination of an interdisciplinary project between Loyola’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor and its African and African American Studies minor.

The first season of the series features an entrepreneur.

The film will be produced and hosted by Dr. Bill Romani, Entrepreneur Resident of the Simon Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Laenita Fenner, Associate Professor of Engineering and Director of Minor African and African American Studies . series premiere.

These films are complemented by readings, news articles, and archival footage documenting the political, social, and economic causes of Baltimore’s historic segregation policy, and a new interdisciplinary course, “To Black and Women Entrepreneurs.” to form an open access curriculum for “investment in In subsequent courses, students will apply what they have learned to identify and recommend black- and women-owned businesses for investment from the new Loyola Angels Fund.

The Society of Jesuit Universities provided grants to support film and curriculum projects.

An informal reception follows the premiere of the film series, which is open to the public free of charge. Participants can register online.