Above: Tarriona “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas, in Professional Black Girlairing as part of ‘AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange’ on WORLD Channel
Season 13 of AfroPoP: The UltimateCultural Exchange continues this April with scholar-activist Yaba Blay’s Professional Black Girl, which showcases the everyday, round-the-way excellence, talent and #BlackGirlMagic of today’s Black women and girls. This edition of Professional Black Girl profiles six extraordinary New Orleans residents, each of whom spotlights a different part of the wonder of the Big Easy. Professional Black Girl premieres on AfroPoP on Monday, April 19, at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT) on WORLD Channel and worldchannel.org. AfroPoP is presented and executive produced by Black Public Media (BPM) and WORLD Channel and co-presented by American Public Television (APT).
A celebrated online movement and video series, Blay’s ProfessionalBlack Girl revels in the joys and lives of Black women and girls while questioning the values and limitations often imposed on them by society. Viewers will get a sense of the culture, people and Blackness of historic New Orleans as lived and experienced by the women profiled. Singer Tarriona “Tank” Ball of the Grammy Award-nominated group Tank and the Bangas introduces viewers to the hair stylist Brenda Jones, who helps craft the styles and onstage image that sets her apart and the artistic oasis the singer knows as home. Media personality and wedding planner extraordinaire Fresh Johnson details how she uses her talents to reach the top of every industry she conquers. Gina Marie Smith discusses Creole culture and her family’s ties to the city’s Mardi Gras celebrations, while Tahj Williams, second queen of the Golden Eagles tribe, explains Mardi Gras Indian culture and how her self-made costumes became a viral sensation. Curator and filmmaker Shantrelle P. Lewis details how she was able to have the “Blackest wedding ever” as she visits little known cultural spots in her hometown, and Chef Linda Green, winner of Food Network’s Chopped: Pride of New Orleans, gives viewers a taste of her famous ya-ka-mein soup.
“Professional Black Girl is a celebration of the power, ingenuity and brilliance of Black women in all that they do,” said Denise Greene, AfroPoP series producer. “This episode takes AfroPoP viewers to New Orleans, introducing them to the dynamic women who make up the magic of the city and we are excited to have our audience explore this legendary town with them.”
New episodes of AfroPoP: TheUltimate Cultural Exchange premiere on WORLD Channel and worldchannel.org through May 3. The other films of the new season include: Mama Gloria by Luchina Fisher (April 5); Tamara Dawit’s Finding Sally (April 12); a shorts collection (April 26) presenting Christine
Turner’s Betye Saar: Taking Care ofBusiness, Michèle Stephenson’s Elena and Man of the People by Amir George; and season closer Bakosó: Afrobeats of Cuba by Eli Jacobs-Fantuzzi (May 3).
APT will release season 13 of AfroPoP to public television stations nationwide on Saturday, May 1, following its airing on WORLD Channel.
For further information on AfroPoP:The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, visit blackpublicmedia.org. To view films or to find your local WORLD station, go to worldchannel.org. For additional viewing information, check local listings or visit APTonline.org.
