YouTube Originals has announced Black Renaissance, a new special on Friday, February 26, that will feature President and Mrs. Obama, Jason Reynolds, Killer Mike, Desus Nice & The Kid Mero, Jemele Hill, artist Shantell Martin, and a performance by Tobe Nwigwe.
The new special will be available on the YouTube Originals Channel and will showcase Black creators, artists, writers, storytellers, and history makers who have shaped our nation’s history; and the next generation of Black voices who are reimagining our future. The special will include dance, music, fashion, photography, literature, Afrofuturism, and the art of Black Women and LGBTQ+ artists.
“People come to YouTube as a place to learn and connect. This Black History month we wanted to continue meeting this challenge which I believe has never been more important,” said Nadine Zylstra, Head of Learning, Impact, Kids & Families for YouTube Originals. “By choosing art as the lens to further explore Black history, we hope to inspire our audience to continue embracing Black culture in all its various forms.”
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Black Renaissance was created in partnership with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Howard University Graduate Film Program, and NAL Media. Vignettes by young filmmakers Raafi Rivero (an alumnus of Howard University’s Graduate Film Program) and Naomi Merlan (Howard University) will be featured in the show. The show is Executive Produced by Jason Reynolds, Leah Harper Lane, and Guy Carrington; Co-Executive Producers are Kristen Wong, Dave Schilling, and Clover Hope; Music Director is Pauli Lovejoy.
Black Renaissance is a part of the #YouTubeBlack Voices Fund that is designed to invest with intention and present fresh narratives that emphasize the intellectual power, authenticity, dignity and joy of Black voices, as well as to educate audiences about racial justice.
Additionally, in February, YouTube Originals will launch a new episode of BookTube (premiering February 25) with Alicia Garza, Principal at Black Futures Lab and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, discussing her book, The Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart.