YouTube originals to amplify black voices

YouTube has unveiled an international slate of projects dedicated to amplifying black voices, including new titles funded via its recently announced US$100m content pot.

Malik Ducard

The Google-owned platform launched the fund over the summer to acquire and produce content focused on racial justice, amplifying black voices and elevating black culture over the next three years.

New projects to come out of this push include 12-episode documentary series Resist from Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, which premieres this month and follows the grassroots work of multicultural/intersectional organisations fighting LA county’s US$3.5bn jail expansion plan in 2018. The docuseries is produced by Blackpills and Pulse Films.

Bear Witness: Take Action Part Two (working title) will premiere in December and follows the first Bear Witness: Take Action special, which was the first YouTube originals project to come from the fund.

The special is produced by the SpringHill Company, Fly On The Wall Entertainment and Byron Phillips. Reginald Hudlin serves as executive producer and showrunner.

Onyx Family Dinner, set to launch in early 2021, follows the Onyx family as they invite weekly dinner guests over to hear thought-provoking stories. Produced by pocket.watch in association with Shine Global, it is executive produced by Keith Brown, Albie Hecht, the Onyx Family and Chris M Williams.

Barbershop Medicine (wt) premieres in 2021 and explores the impact race and socioeconomic status have on healthcare and longevity. The special will be executive produced by Charles D King, Marta Fernandez, Jelani Johnson and Alisha Corpas Wynn for 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,” says Malik Ducard, YouTube’s VP of content partnerships.

“Across YouTube, we have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to contribute to these conversations about racial justice in a meaningful way. Through our US$100m content fund and other initiatives, we are continuing the important work of amplifying black voices, making YouTube a better place for black creators, educating people on the diversity of the black experience, and centring black people as the messengers of their own stories.”

YouTube’s originals team is led by Susanne Daniels, global head of original content, and also includes Alex Piper, head of unscripted; Nadine Zylstra, head of family, learning and impact; and Luke Hyams, head of YouTube originals EMEA.