Here is something to look forward to: Alicia Keys will executive produce a PBS documentary on Black women entertainers as part of the acclaimed American Masters series.
Deadline reports that the documentary, titled American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free and based on a similarly titled book by Ruth Feldstein, will focus on six entertainers: Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Abbey Lincoln, Pam Grier, and Cicely Tyson. Each of these women had to work against and eventually overcome an industry rife with systemic racism, stereotypes, and roadblocks.
“Art is the most powerful medium on the planet, and I continue to be inspired by and learn from these powerful, brave and stereotype-shattering women who leveraged their success as artists to fearlessly stand up against racism, sexism, exclusion and harassment,” Keys said in a statement announcing the doc. “I honor their courage by celebrating their stories and continuing the work they started.”
Even with covid-19 social distancing measures in place, the production sounds like it’ll be pandemic-friendly, featuring archival footage and interviews. There’ll also be interviews with family members and the entertainers they influenced, like Samuel L. Jackson, Halle Berry, and Lena Waithe.
The program is set to air in early 2021.