Nigerian American poet and filmmaker Amanda Eke has made history as the first Black woman to host a show on The Archaeology Channel, turning a childhood once marked by silence into a platform that centers on poetry, culture and oral tradition.
Eke, who grew up in Sacramento, California, did not speak until age 4 and did not read or write until age 7, but says rhythm and language became her bridge to the world.
“Being that young, I couldn’t read stop signs, and I would skip when I talked. But hearing the cadence and rhythm of words got me excited,” she said.
At 8 years old, she had a poem published in a children’s anthology and later pursued an interdisciplinary path — earning an undergraduate degree at the University of California, Davis. She went on to complete a Fulbright in Malta exploring cultural storytelling, and earned a Master’s degree in Pan African studies from Syracuse University in 2019.
"In Malta, I realized they had a new form of music where they mixed American hip-hop with Maltese folk music into one hybrid genre. It had all the elements of African American hip-hop with their folk music, mixed into one,” Eke said.
That discovery led to her documentary Bidla — meaning “change” in Maltese — which screened at festivals in Asia, Europe and the United States. It drew the attention of the Archaeology Legacy Institute in Eugene, Oregon, the headquarters of The Archaeology Channel.
“They chose the pitch for my show The Poet Speaks based on the podcast I have where we talk to people around the world about poetry where they’re at,” Eke said. “They were trying to call me to say, ‘You won,’ but I had changed my number. So, I emailed Rick Pettigrew, the president of Archaeology Legacy Institute, asking for feedback on my proposal, and he said, ‘Amanda, you’re the one.’”
Eke started her podcast, The Poet Speaks with Amanda Eke, in Japan after the COVID-19 pandemic. It quickly took off in 2022 from a small apartment with just a laptop and Zoom.
Within two months, it ranked No. 4 on Strategic Media’s list of Top 5 Podcasts for Black History Month. The television adaptation premiered on The Archaeology Channel’s streaming service in October 2024 before its national broadcast debut on PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) on Sept. 2, 2025.
“You can make a show from anywhere if you have discipline and a clear vision,” she said.
Each season focuses on one place as a character in the story, with Season 1 filmed around New York City, Harlem, Chinatown and the Bronx. With plans to produce Season 2 in Washington, D.C. and more seasons abroad. Eke says the places themselves inspire the writing.
“I’m not concerned about a famous poet. I want to talk to real people with real stories, pain and joy,” she said. "A girl in New York can relate to a boy’s poem in Nepal. You just have to listen."
Eke describes the series as both art and documentation shaped by the streets, kitchens, community centers and bookshops where episodes are filmed. She writes, hosts, directs and executive produces the series through her own production company, Ndidika Productions. The show is distributed through both PBS and The Archaeology Channel.
“I always tell people 15 percent is creative, and 85 percent is business. You have to maximize your creativity and entrepreneurship and expand your horizons. Things will be different in two years — you have to be willing to pivot,” she said.
According to 2025 data from Zipia, about 6.8% of U.S. archaeologists identify as Black or African American. Women make up 47.1% of the field, while 52.9% are men. Her milestone arrives in a profession where representation remains limited.
“I might be the first to do this, but I don’t want to be the last. We’ve had stories from the beginning of time, and we’re not done yet,” Eke said.
Before television, Eke developed The Poet Speaks as a global workshop series that teaches oral tradition and performance, with stops in Trinidad and Tobago, Nepal, Morocco and across the United States.
“I want more of us to be visible in literary and heritage spaces. Representation changes who gets archived and remembered,” she said.
Eke says the show’s mission is to archive contemporary oral traditions and to frame poetry not only as an art form but as a living record of people and place. She credits collaboration with cinematographers and local literary communities but stresses that independent production is more beyond the veil.
“This work is a reclamation of space and craft after years of being told I couldn’t do it. People see you on TV and think it’s glamorous, but getting there is extensive labor,” Eke said.
When asked what she would tell her younger self, Eke paused before answering.
“You’ll find beauty and brilliance right where you are. You’re more than enough. Don’t let outside chatter distract you. You deserve grace, softness, respect, genuineness and strength because you’re all of those in one,” she said.
Viewers can find episodes of The Poet Speaks with Amanda Eke on The Archaeology Channel and check local PBS listings for airdates. Information about her workshops, podcasts and television series is available at amandaeke.com.
“We don’t plan on being here just for the next two years. We want to be here for [decades] — continuing the histories of oral traditions, archiving ourselves and telling our stories,” Eke said.