Kortney Ryan Ziegler facts for kids

Kortney Ryan Ziegler (born December 15, 1981) is an American entrepreneur, filmmaker, artist, writer, and scholar. He lives in Oakland, California. His work often explores topics like gender identity, body image, and the experiences of Black people.

About Kortney Ryan Ziegler

Ziegler was born in Compton, California. He was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned his bachelor's degree from University of California, Santa Cruz. Later, he received his master's degree from San Francisco State University.

He then went on to earn his PhD from Northwestern University. While studying for his PhD, he began to understand his gender identity more deeply. In 2011, he completed his important research on Black and Latino filmmakers. He was the first person to receive a PhD in African-American studies from Northwestern University. He currently lives in Oakland, California.

Kortney Ziegler's Career

The blac (k) ademic Blog

From 2003 to 2006, Ziegler wrote a blog called blac (k) ademic. This blog discussed gender and identity from the viewpoint of a young Black academic.

The blog focused on the experiences of women of color. Ziegler stopped writing the blog for a while because of negative comments. However, blac (k) ademic won the Best Topical Blog award in 2006 at the first Black Weblog Awards. It was relaunched in November 2012 and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award.

The Film STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen

In 2008, Ziegler's film STILL BLACK: a Portrait of Black Transmen was released. He developed the idea for this film while he was a student at Northwestern University. The movie looks at the experiences of Black men who are transgender.

Ziegler and his producer, Awilda Rodríguez Lora, used their own money to start the film. They also raised money from many people through social networking to finish the project.

Technology and Innovation

In 2013, Ziegler started Trans*H4ck. This is a group where transgender people can work together on technology projects. It began as a two-day event called a hackathon.

He also co-founded BSMdotCo with Tiffany Mikell. This company focuses on educational technology. They created a video-based discussion platform called Aerial Spaces.

In 2017, Ziegler and Mikell also co-founded Appolition.us. This app helps Black people who are in jail return to their families. Users can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the extra money to help pay for bail. The app received support from many people after Ziegler posted about it online in July 2017.

Awards and Recognition

Kortney Ryan Ziegler has received many honors for his work:

• 2006 Best Topical Blog, Black Weblog Awards – blac (k) ademic
• 2009 Best Documentary, Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival – STILL BLACK: a portrait of black transmen
• Trans 100 Honoree
• 2013 GLAAD Media Award Nomination for Outstanding Blog
• 2013 Empowerment Award, Black Transmen, Inc.
• 2013 Outstanding Transgender Service, The Esteem Awards
• 2013 Top 40 Under 40 LGBT Activist, The Advocate
• 2013 Authentic Life Award, Transgender Law Center
• 2017 Diablo magazine's 40 Under 40 award winner