PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Remember the name Micah Beard; You may see it scrolling across a screen at the end of a film some day.
Micah Beard
The Prairie View A&M University senior, a communications major with a psychology minor, is set to graduate this December. And he has many dreams: to be a director, producer, screenwriter, and voice actor, and, one day, to start his own studio company. He envisions producing a wide range of media content: movies, films, television shows, comics, and animations.
His dream project? An animated project about a small team of Black superheroes.
“I believe superhero stories are some of the most important stories you can tell as they represent something we all aspire to be–they can be a personification of the good in everyone,” Beard said. “Superman and Batman are American myths that have stood the test of time for almost a century, and the messages their characters represent are very important in our present day. That mixed with the representation aspect of Black heroes, plus the way stories are beautifully told through animation, combine to make this one of my ultimate goals for my life to complete.”
Beard concludes his collegiate career on multiple highs: a 3.9 GPA and recent participation in a pilot program at the University of Pennsylvania’s (UPenn) Annenberg School for Communication.
“It was an amazing experience,” he said. “As someone who wants to go to grad school, it was great to simulate what it would be like and get hands-on experience at the work it would require. It was great to go through and receive mentorship from people who have done this work at a high level and get a head start on my future.”
One of two PVAMU students invited to present at UPenn, Beard’s original research examined trends in the current filmscape.
“It felt like I was making history, maybe not at a huge magnitude, but I believed I pushed some boundaries with my research and being able to present for a program like that.” I think I showed them the level of talent that can come from an undergraduate student in his junior year. I think it was a big step in solidifying myself in the academic world beyond Prairie View.”
His original research was officially naming this “weird” media climate right now: Neo-Blaxploitation.
“I noticed the weird climate we are in for films right now,” he said. “I felt like this research had to be talked about and could not be ignored. Realizing no one has officially coined our new era of film we’re in, I thought, ‘Why not me?’ In a highly politically charged climate, I think younger people speaking up now is more important than ever, especially with how dominant the media is in our society.”
The term plays off the idea of blaxploitation, a previous era of Black film. “An idea saying that the current era of Black film is a rehashing of many ideas presented in Blaxploitation, just in a new way that ultimately can redefine the way we see Black movies, and in some ways, that bigger corporations capitalize on this current sensitive sociopolitical moment our society is in right now.”
His project has opened doors and kick-started other projects: Beard is also attending conferences and being approached about being published.
Persevering Through Trials
It wasn’t always all-highs for Beard.
A serious health issue in his sophomore year halted his academic journey briefly.
A severe bacterial infection and tonsillitis sent him to the emergency room and required a weeklong hospital stay.
“My throat had closed, swollen with pus and abscess, rendering me unable to talk or swallow; my body was extremely ill, and my spleen was expanding,” Beard said. “That halted my academic journey as I was unable to attend classes.”
It was during his midterms, and when the world didn’t stop for his illness or treatment, he continued persevering through classes and turning in assignments.
“That experience taught me resilience on a completely different level,” Beard said. “It reminded me that perseverance isn’t about being strong all the time; it’s about refusing to give up even when everything is working against you.”
He rose from that chapter stronger as a person, and his faith more refined.
“I always kept a steady belief that I would get through this,” he said. “That is just a current roadblock and not my forever. God has His hands on me and gave me a great, supportive family.”
Finding His Grounding
From Rowlett, Texas, Beard is the first in his family from Shreveport, Louisiana, to attend PVAMU, and Beard dived into campus life fully.
During his time, he was a part of Chi-Alpha, Lambda Pi Eta, the National Association of Black Journalists, and KPVU-TV. Being a part of those organizations elevated his college experience, he said.
“Each one gave me something different, but together they surrounded me with like-minded, goal-driven people who wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Beard said. “That environment pushed me to grow, stay focused, and build a legacy of my own.”
At KPVU-TV, he received “transformative” hands-on training.
“As an aspiring director, producer, and screenwriter, getting firsthand experience in a working studio, from creating my own shows to learning different production roles, showed me what the media world really looks like behind the scenes,” Beard said. “It exposed me to areas like broadcasting that I hadn’t fully considered before and gave me practical skills I can bring into my future career.”
NABJ and Lambda Pi connected him to other communicators, storytellers, and fellow high-achieving students who were just as serious about their craft as he is.
Chi-Alpha, he says, grounded him.
“It gave me a space to maintain my faith, share it confidently, and connect with friends who supported me spiritually, mentally, and emotionally,” Beard said. “Having that community helped keep my head on straight and reminded me of my purpose, even in the busiest and toughest parts of college life.”
After graduation, Beard has some opportunities in video production and media management lined up, but has not decided where he will land yet.
Time has flown, and despite the challenges and obstacles he faced, Beard says college was an experience “like no other.”
For current PVAMU students, he advises bringing your best self.
“Be confident, not out of ego, but out of the knowledge that you know you’ve done the work and preparation to where you cannot fail at this moment,” he said. “Trust in God.”
Click here to view a complete listing of this semester’s notable graduates.
By Christine Won
-PVAMU-