Mother Suriname, season 17 premiere of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange 

(Credit: From the personal collection of Tessa Leuwsha)

Here’s an updated article incorporating all the new information about AfroPoP’s upcoming season, while maintaining a non-AI tone and avoiding plagiarism.

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AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange Launches Season 17 with a Global Spotlight

Get ready to journey across continents and through time as Season 17 of AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, the Peabody Award-winning series presented by Black Public Media (BPM) and WORLD, kicks off on Monday, June 9. This season promises an impressive array of independent documentary and narrative films, uniquely curated to transport viewers to diverse corners of the globe—and even into the past, present, and future—with award-winning stories designed to stir the senses and nourish the soul. Notably, this season features a narrative film executive produced by talents like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Stephen Hendel.

As the sole U.S.-based public media program dedicated to independent films exploring contemporary life, art, and culture from the African diaspora, AfroPoP continues to be a vital platform. It’s presented by Black Public Media, WORLD, and PBS Plus, ensuring broad accessibility for audiences.

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Season 17’s Captivating Lineup

Each episode of AfroPoP will be broadcast weekly on public television’s WORLD channel, with streaming options also available on WORLD’s YouTube channel and the Black Public Media YouTube channel starting June 9th. Additionally, all Season 17 episodes will be accessible for streaming on the PBS App from that date, with PBS Plus distributing the season to more public television stations nationwide each week (viewers should check their local listings for specific broadcast times).

Here’s a closer look at the films premiering this season:

• Monday, June 9: Mother Suriname and The Changing Same
  • Tessa Leuwsha’s Mother Suriname is a poignant documentary that uses colorized archival footage and heartfelt narration. It serves as a touching tribute to the director’s grandmother in colonial Suriname, giving voice to a washerwoman and her peers, while offering a rare and insightful glimpse into Dutch colonialism and its lasting impact.
  • Following Mother Suriname is Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster’s The Changing Same, an award-winning U.S. documentary short. This powerful film captures Marianna, Florida, resident and poet L. Lamar Wilson as he undertakes a marathon run, striving to uncover and highlight the highly publicized 1934 lynching of a Black farmhand named Claude Neal.
• Monday, June 16: Tongo Saa (Rising Up at Night)
  • Nelson Makengo’s award-winning documentary feature brings audiences to Kinshasa, the bustling capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here, residents grapple with the turmoil and violence that stem from the severe and uneven distribution of electricity, as they fight simply to survive.
• Monday, June 23: Neptune Frost and Tsutsue
  • Anisia Uzeyman and Saul Williams’s Neptune Frost is an award-winning Afrofuturist sci-fi narrative feature. Set in the lush hilltops of Burundi, the film follows a hacker collective led by an intersex runaway and an escaped coltan miner as they wage a digital and physical battle against government profiteering from their nation’s natural resources.
  • This film is followed by Amartei Armar’s Tsutsue, a narrative short from Ghana, which explores the emotional journey of two young Ghanaian boys as they come to terms with the drowning death of their beloved older brother.
• Monday, June 30: Mama Gloria (Encore Presentation)
  • As a special bonus, WORLD will broadcast and stream on its website and YouTube channel an encore presentation of Luchina Fisher’s Mama Gloria (U.S. documentary feature, 2020). This insightful portrait tells the story of Gloria Allen, a trailblazing Black transgender woman from Chicago, who opened a charm school for young transgender people and lived a life defined by joy and activism.

Viewers can also stream AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange on WORLD’s YouTube channel and across all PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS App.

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A Visionary Collaboration

The series is executive produced by BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz and WORLD (at GBH) Executive Producer Nina Chaudry. Denise A. Greene serves as the series producer/director, with Carol Bash as series co-producer/director, and Ashton Pina as the series writer.

“AfroPoP continues to evolve each season, showcasing a vibrant array of films fueled by the creativity and boldness of filmmakers within our expanding community,” shared Leslie Fields-Cruz. “While these stories explore diverse histories, traditions, and even universes, they also reveal the shared connections that unite all of humankind.”

Nina Chaudry added, “Once again, WORLD is pleased to join Black Public Media to bring this dynamic series to the viewing public. The beauty of AfroPoP is that it offers stations an opportunity to deliver stories from around the vast African diaspora that American audiences won’t find easily.”

Since its debut in 2008, AfroPoP has presented an impressive 97 feature and short films on public media, offering a rich tapestry of stories from the African diaspora. The series has featured works from many noted directors, including George Amponsah, Raoul Peck, Sam Pollard, Michèle Stephenson, and more.

AfroPoP is supported by the generous contributions of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

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About the Presenters

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ABOUT BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA:

Black Public Media (BPM) is dedicated to supporting the development of visionary content creators and distributing compelling stories about the global Black experience. For 45 years, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences, striving to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. BPM-supported programs have garnered numerous accolades, including five Emmys, 10 Peabodys, and an Oscar nomination, as BPM continues its vital work in overcoming historical and systemic barriers that traditionally impede the creation and distribution of Black stories.

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ABOUT WORLD:

WORLD delivers the best of public media through news, documentaries, and engaging programming. Its original series delve into critical issues and amplify voices often marginalized by mainstream media, helping audiences understand conflicts, movements, and cultures from across the globe. WORLD’s original productions have earned significant recognition, including two Peabody Awards, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, and a National News and Documentary Emmy Award. Carried by 203 member stations, WORLD reaches nearly 80% of U.S. TV households. Funding for WORLD is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. WORLD is produced by GBH in collaboration with WNET and distributed by American Public Television (APT). Discover more at WORLDChannel.org.

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ABOUT PBS PLUS:

PBS Plus serves as a syndicated programming service for public television stations, supplementing the core primetime, daily news, and children’s content found in the National Program Service. It provides a diverse range of series and specials designed for various dayparts, accessible to all PBS member stations and reaching all available national TV households. Annually, PBS Plus delivers approximately 500 hours of programming, from “how-to” shows like This Old House and culinary series such as Somewhere South, to topical news and information programs, and arts and cultural shows like Austin City Limits and The Caverns Sessions.

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To find out more about AfroPoP, visit https://worldchannel.org/show/afropop/ or https://blackpublicmedia.org/afropop/.

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You can view the season trailer here: AfroPoP Season Trailer.