UPDATE: UCI's kweliTV streaming platform trial subscription and feedback period has been extended until January 19, 2024. 

Now through December 15, 2023, UCI students, faculty, and staff can access kweliTV, a streaming platform that celebrates the global Black experience. As part of this trial subscription, UCI Libraries is seeking input and feedback from campus stakeholders to gauge interest in the collection. 

About kweliTV

The kweliTV streaming platform includes indie films, documentaries, animation, TV and web shows, children’s programming, audio stories, and more representing the African diaspora (North America, Africa, Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean, Australia, and some parts of Asia). Of the nearly 700 titles available, approximately 98% have been official selections at film festivals and 65% have won awards.

The founder and CEO of kweliTV, DeShuna Elisa Spencer, explained the curated platform was created in 2016 to address the lack of diversity in streaming media. She was also curious about what Black culture was like for people living in places like Ghana, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Cuba, and other parts of the world. kweliTV’s mission is to fill those voids, with content that both features Black characters and stories and helps amplify the work of Black directors, writers, and producers.

Call for Feedback

Due to the cost of the kweliTV subscription, UCI Libraries is seeking input from UCI faculty and other campus stakeholders. 

“We especially want to know if there is tangible interest in using the collection,” said Research Librarian for Digital Humanities and African American Studies April Urban. “Do faculty feel they will incorporate kweliTV content in their course curriculum or research? How much interest is there from students or campus organizations?”

To access the collection, visit the kweliTV institutional login webpage. Note UCI VPN is needed for off-campus access; see VPN instructions for ways to connect. 

All campus UCI students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to browse and view content on kweliTV during this trial period and complete the brief UCI Libraries survey before December 15.

For questions about the kweliTV trial, please contact Research Librarian for Digital Humanities and African American Studies April Urban at aprilu@uci.edu.

To learn more about other African American studies media and resources available via UCI Libraries, visit the African American Studies Research Guide.