Netflix has partnered with Jesse Collins Entertainment, First Book, and several Black entertainers for an upcoming live-action series where race and identity take center stage. The show will be hosted by 15-year-old #1000BlackGirlBooks founder, author, and social activist Marley Dias, who also serves as executive producer. It is set to premiere on September 1, 2020. — Marley Emerson Dias (@iammarleydias) August 25, 2020 The series will be made available on Netflix and Netflix Jr. and will have 12 episodes, each featuring prominent Black voices in entertainment today reading a book written by a Black author. Lupita Nyong’o, Tiffany Haddish, Jill Scott, Marsai Martin, Common, and Misty Copeland are among the celebrity voices that will be reading and talking about Black experiences. In the official press release from Netflix, the streaming service stated that they have noticed more people turning to books to help them navigate difficult conversations about race, social justice, and respect. They also stated they will launch a platform that will offer book recommendations and resource guides to help continue the conversation separate from the show. Netflix will also be donating books to educators who teach and serve children in need across the country as well as select international locations. Below is the official list of entertainers and the books they will be reading:
Tiffany Haddish reads I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley and E.B. Lewis
Grace Byers reads I Am Enough by Grace Byers and Keturah A. Bobo
Caleb McLaughlin reads Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes and Gordon C. James
Lupita Nyong’o reads Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o and Vashti Harrison
Marsai Martin reads ABC’s For Girls Like Me by Melanie Goolsby and Princess Kay
Karamo Brown reads I Am Perfectly Designed by Karamo Brown and Anoosha Syed
Jill Scott reads Pretty Brown Face by Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney and Brown Boy Joy by Thomishia Booker
Misty Copeland reads Firebird by Misty Copeland and Christopher Myers
Common reads Let’s Talk About Race by Julius Lester and Karen Barbour
Jacqueline Woodson reads The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael Lopez
Kendrick Sampson reads Anti-Racist Baby by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Ashley Lukashevsky
Marley Dias reads We March by Shane W. Evans
