Salt, a new half-hour, bi-weekly talk show focused on the ups and downs of being Christian millennials of color during a time when media spaces are often populated with inauthentic “reality” TV shows, is scheduled to debut Sunday, Oct 11 at 8:00 p.m. ET on YouTube.
Hosted by Michelle Jenkins, Yeira De Leon, J. Jones, and L.A. Bonds, Salt will engage in no-holds-barred conversations ranging from news of the day to beauty, fashion and colorism in the Black community. The four outspoken women will also keep it real about their own personal relationships. Whether married, single or somewhere in between (think Netflix and Chill), Salt wants to add its flavor to your Sundays.
With a focus on faith and Christianity, Salt’s goal is not just to entertain. According to a statement released exclusively to Newsone, the women also want to “win back the lost”:
Salt’s overarching goal is to provide an alternative perspective that not only promotes a relationship with Christ, but the “cool” life to be had when you do. To be young and a Christian has been for so long deemed “unpopular”, but what if someone showed you that is simply not true. That choosing to follow Jesus is not a restriction, but a freedom! The show, which is filled with so much truth, love, fun, and personal experience, hopes to capture the young minds of today who are being inundated with conflicting information from everywhere.
The growing media continues to push and help shape the thoughts of young adults today, so rather than find an opportunity to live within this media construct, SALT seeks to create their own lane to win back the lost. The Bible tells us to be the SALT and the light of the world and that is what we intend to do.
With the rise of social media, millennials seem to be more vulnerable than ever to self-hatred, depression, lack of self-confidence, bullying, and suicide. Moreover in the news, young men and women of color are increasingly becoming targets of a love-less system. But with every poor illustration and message of hopelessness, we want to project a message of hope and empowerment. When our viewers watch SALT, we want them to be inspired to share their voice and their faith with the world. We hope to encourage them with our stories and ultimately help restore their hope. Everyone needs a hero, so in one way or another, we point our viewers back to ours, Jesus!
Appealing to more than a Christian base may prove tricky for the show. Even though it’s important to have diversity of thought represented in media spaces, not having faith in Jesus does not make one “lost” any more than having faith in Jesus makes one found. There are agnostic, atheist and Muslim millennials. There are millennials who identify as spiritual beings not restricted by religion.
So, can a show grounded in “God’s truth and the Gospel of Jesus,” according to SoulFeedTV’s stated purpose, have wide-spread appeal among an increasing secular millennial demographic that is uninterested in being “saved,” no matter how fun the hosts make it seem?
We guess you’ll have to pour a little Salt on your Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET on YouTube to find out.
To see a trailer for the show, click here.
article via hellobeautiful.com
Laurence Fishburne is set to play the lead role of Nelson Mandela in Madiba, a miniseries for BET Networks executive produced by the late South African hero’s grandson Kweku Mandela. The six-hour mini, directed by Kevin Hooks (Prison Break), is based on two Mandela books, Conversations With Myself and Nelson Mandela by Himself. Named after Madiba, the Thembu clan to which Nelson Mandela belonged, the project tells the story of a younger Nelson Mandela during the early-60s as he deals with the political unrest engulfing South Africa.Madiba will be produced and financed by Toronto-based Blue Ice Pictures and also produced by UK-based Left Bank Pictures and South Africa’s Out of Africa Entertainment in association with Fishburne’s Cinema Gypsy Productions. Blue Ice Pictures president Lance Samuels executive produces alongside Kweku Mandela of Out of Africa and Daniel Iron, Neil Tabatznik, Steven Silver, Andy Harries, Marigo Kehoe and Loretha Jones.
Pre-production will begin later this year, with production slated for early 2016 in South Africa.
“Nelson Mandela’s journey of political activism and leadership is deeply inspirational and we are proud to have the talented and award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne join Madiba to tell this triumphant story” said Stephen Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks.
Fishburne executive produces and co-stars on the ABC comedy series Black-ish and will be seen next summer in Batman vs Superman: Dawn Of Justice. He recently signed on to star in the A&E remake of Roots and is in production on Sony’s romantic sci-fi drama Passengers starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence.
There have been a number of feature and TV movies about Mandela, with the Nobel Peace Prize-winning anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner-turned-president portrayed by such actors as Morgan Freeman, Sidney Poitier, Idris Elba, Dennis Haysbert, Terrence Howard and Danny Glover.
article by Nellie Andreeva via deadline.com
Minaj studied acting at Manhattan’s prestigious LaGuardia High School and originally pursued acting before launching a successful music career. Minaj, who is in the midst of her worldwide “Pinkprint” tour, is the first solo female artist to have seven singles charting simultaneously on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Her third full-length album, The Pinkprint, became the second highest-selling female debut of 2014 and arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart.