The new series will feature Black authors, musicians, and athletes reading children's books by Black authors.
On September 1, Netflix will begin streaming a 12-episode live-action preschool series that will use books to spark difficult conversations, give power to Black voices, and spotlight Black children's authors.
Booksmarks: Celebrating Black Voices is hosted by 15-year-old Marley Dias. The teen author, activist, and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks is also the show's executive producer. Dias is among the Black authors, athletes, actors, musicians, and comedians, who read aloud to viewers. Joining her are Common, who reads Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester; Tiffany Haddish, who reads We March by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley; and Jacqueline Woodson, who reads her book, The Day You Begin, among others.
"Many of us have turned to books to navigate hard conversations around topics like race, representation, and self-love with our kids," Heather Tilert, Netflix director of original animation, preschool, said in the series announcement. Those books and conversations were the inspiration for the series, which will bring "children’s stories from prolific Black creators centering around themes of identity, respect, justice and action to the screen," according to Tilert.
See the full Netflix press release, and list of readers and authors, below:
‘Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices’ aims to spark conversations on and off screenAs parents, we know the power of stories. Stories shape how our children see themselves, and offer them a window into the world beyond their own. Stories show us the power our voices can have, to make a difference, and to incite change. Many of us have turned to books to navigate hard conversations around topics like race, representation and self-love with our kids. And that was the inspiration for our new live-action preschool series, Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, bringing children’s stories from prolific Black creators centering around themes of identity, respect, justice and action to the screen. Premiering Sept. 1 on Netflix and on our Netflix Jr. YouTube channel, this 12 episode series features prominent Black voices - authors, athletes, actors, musicians, and comedians - reading children's books from Black authors that highlight the Black experience. The series is hosted and executive produced by 15-year-old activist, author and founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign Marley Dias. To bring this project to light, we are thrilled to partner with Jesse Collins Entertainment and other prolific Black creatives with a history of celebrating Black voices. This team includes showrunner, director and executive producer Fracaswell Hyman ( Little Bill and The Famous Jett Jackson), executive producers Jesse Collins (Rhythm + Flow, The New Edition Story), Dionne Harmon (John Lewis: Celebrating a Hero, BET Awards), David E. Talbert and Lyn Sisson-Talbert ( Jingle Jangle, Almost Christmas) as well as creative producer Kevin A. Clark, Ph.D. (Professor and Children’s Media Consultant). Our hope is that Bookmarks will serve as a new kind of virtual book corner where families can watch together, learn together, and talk with one another. We will launch a companion site at NetflixBookmarks.com that will have additional book recommendations, videos and resource guides to help continue these conversations off screen. And in order to share these amazing stories more broadly, we’ll also be partnering with First Book to donate and distribute copies of each of the books featured in the collection to educators serving kids in need across the country, and in select international countries. Titles of books, authors, and readers include: Tiffany Haddish reads We March Written by: Natasha Anastasia Tarpley, Illustration by: E.B. Lewis Grace Byers reads I Am Enough Written by: Grace Byers, Illustration by: Keturah A. Bobo Caleb McLaughlin reads Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut Written by: Derrick Barnes, Illustration by: Gordon C. James Lupita Nyong’o reads Sulwe Written by: Lupita Nyong’o, Illustration by: Vashti Harrison Marsai Martin reads ABC’s For Girls Like Me Written by: Melanie Goolsby, Illustration by: Princess Kay Karamo Brown reads I Am Perfectly Designed Written by: Karamo Brown, Illustration by: Anoosha Syed Jill Scott reads Pretty Brown Face and Brown Boy Joy Written by: Andrea Davis Pinkney, Illustration by: Brian Pinkney Written by: Thomishia Booker, Illustration by: Thomishia Booker Misty Copeland reads Firebird Written by: Misty Copeland, Illustration by: Christopher Myers Common reads Let’s Talk About Race Written by: Julius Lester, Illustration by: Karen Barbour Jacqueline Woodson reads The Day You Begin Written by: Jacqueline Woodson, Illustration by: Rafael Lopez Kendrick Sampson reads Anti-Racist Baby Written by: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Illustration by: Ashley Lukashevsky Marley Dias reads We March Written by: Shane W. Evans, Illustration by: Shane W. Evans
-Heather Tilert, Director of Original Animation, Preschool |
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