Whitney Spencer (she/they) is the Director of Production and Partnerships at the
Chicago-based Sisters in Cinema, where she oversees Sisters in Cinema Productions – shaping
both the creative and business strategies for key projects; and developing and executing
creative, community, and business partnership strategies. Whitney came to Sisters in Cinema
from Kartemquin Films, where she supported a diverse array of filmmakers in marketing and
distribution strategy for their films.
She holds a M.A. in Critical Ethnic Studies from DePaul University, a M. Ed. in Higher Education
from the University of Louisville, and a B.S. in Communications with a minor in Sociology from
the University of Louisville. Her research interests include Black placemaking, reimagining Black
knowledge production and practices, and the politics of memory. Her scholarship is reflected in
her TEDx talk Reimagining the Intellectual. Next, she is excited to explore the transformative
practices at the intersection of art and technology. When she has time, Whitney is an occasional
critic with bylines for RogerEbert.com.
Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Whitney is a proud Southerner who prefers her tea hot but still
sweetened with a bit of honey. In her spare time, she enjoys binge watching series with 22
episode seasons, basketball fandom, reading, and the search for the next great #2 pencil to add
to her collection.
