VARIETY: YouTube announced a global slate of new and returning projects dedicated to amplifying Black voices and highlighting racial justice issues, including five new projects from its recently announced $100 million fund for Black creators.
The lineup includes documentary series “Resist” from executive producer Patrisse Cullors (pictured above), cofounder of Black Lives Matter; an HBCU homecoming livestream special; and a special looking at health issues in the Black community from Charles D. King and Macro Television Studios.
“Race has never been an easy issue to confront but the events over the last few months have opened up doors of dialogue and action that had once seemed closed,” Malik Ducard, YouTube’s VP of content partnerships, said in announcing the slate. “Across YouTube, we have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to contribute to these conversations about racial justice in a meaningful way.”
According to YouTube, it will continue to invest funds from the $100 million YouTube Black Voices fund over the next three years to acquire and produce original programming with the aim of directly supporting Black creators and artists on YouTube. The first project from the fund was June’s “Bear Witness, Take Action,” a livestreamed special hosted by Common and Keke Palmer focused on racial justice issues that featured discussion panels, musical tributes and more.
Among the new and returning originals from the YouTube Black Voices Fund is “BookTube” (special episode premieres Oct. 22): Bestselling author Jason Reynolds (“Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You”) will be featured in a special episode of the monthly author discussion series. This episode will include an appearance by Dr. Ibram Kendi, who wrote “Stamped From the Beginning,” which Reynolds “remixed” in his own book. Directed by
Nadia Hallgren (“Becoming,” “After Maria”) with director of photography Hans Charles (“13th,” “1 Angry Black Man”). The series is produced by Boardwalk Pictures.
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here.