Season 16 of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange returns with new films from the African diaspora with themes of redemption, magic, the supernatural and environmental racism. The Black Public Media and WORLD created series will air season 16 on their YouTube channels.
The next season starts with Commuted from director Nailah Jefferson, who also directed Donyale Luna: Supermodel which premiered in 2023 on HBO Max. Commuted follows Danielle Metz who was serving a triple life sentence for drug charges until President Barack Obama gave her clemency. The camera captures Metz as she returns to her New Orleans works on re-bonding with her children. Likarion Wainaina’s Supa Modo is set in Kenya and shows how a village helps a terminally ill girl fulfill her wish to become a superhero. Mbithi Masya’s Kati Kati is another Kenyan film and it is the story of a young woman’s journey into the afterlife. The feature won Best Movie at the Africa Magic Viewer’s Choice Awards. Freedom Hill ends the season with the story of the first American town chartered by former slaves and the floods that threatened its survival. The film was a finalist at the 2022 Essence Film Festival and winner of Best Documentary Short at the 2022 Middlebury New Filmmakers Film Festival.
AfroPoP has presented 91 films since it premiered in 2008. Bobbito Garcia, Baron Claiborne, Terence Nance, Raoul Peck, Violeta Ayala and Yaba Blay are some of the directors who have showcased their work. The series is executive produced by BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz and WORLD (at GBH) Editor and Chief Chris Hastings. Denise A. Greene is series director/producer, Carol Bash is series associate producer and Ashton Pina is the series writer. Hastings elaborated on the purpose of AfroPoP in a press statement.
“AfroPoP is more than just a series; it’s a vibrant tapestry that stitches together the voices of marginalized communities, offering a platform for stories that are too often overlooked. WORLD’s mission is to illuminate the many facets of the human experience through content that educates, informs and inspires. In partnership with Black Public Media, with AfroPoP, we continue to push experience through content that educates, informs and inspires. In partnership with Black Public Media, with AfroPoP, we continue to push boundaries, finding innovative ways to connect audiences with content that reflects their lives and experiences. Join us as we celebrate the voices, the stories and the impact of the African Diaspora on our world.”
Viewers can find AfroPoP on the WORLD and Black Public Media YouTube channels and the PBS app. The new episodes will air weekly on WORLD through April 22 and PBS Plus will distribute the series to PBS affiliate public television stations across the country beginning April 1. The show can be seen on all PBS platforms and iOS, Android, Roku streaming devices, Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
