The ‘definitive’ Nipsey Hussle docuseries is underway, thanks in part to LeBron James, the star of the show. The project is an opportunity for The Worldwide Leader to make a statement (it’s a bold one) about the Black Lives Matter movement, and I think it has come up with a winning strategy.
The two-hour Nipsey and the Big Happy Family series is not merely aimed at the Black community. It is also a call to action. As a movement, Black Lives Matter has moved from a protest to a movement — and now, it has been branded a movement that requires the attention of a global audience to make it a success. That’s what James has done. And it’s what other stars like Jimmy Kimmel, Will Smith, and Tyler Perry have done.
In the wake of the New Zealand mosque shootings last week, we need to give the Black Lives Matter movement the attention it needs to succeed. The Nipsey Hussle docuseries is aimed at a global audience, but it won’t be for long if we don’t act.
Over the next several months, Black Lives Matter Media will be releasing a series of stories that tell the story of how Black Lives Matter spread the word to millions of people around the world. And we’ll be speaking with the movement’s leading voices and influencers about what the movement will need to do to become a movement in the fullest sense of the word.
At first blush, it might sound like just a bunch of hokey “documentary” nonsense. Indeed, the term “black-ish” was used in a recent review by Vulture — who also called it “a bad joke” — to describe the series.
But here’s where it becomes relevant. Black Lives Matter is about change. It’s about giving the Black Community what it wants: a sense of self-worth, empowerment, pride — and respect.
This is not merely about a celebrity-driven movement; this is about a movement that is gaining mainstream respectability. Even the Daily Beast — one of the mainstream media outlets that has been so critical of Black Lives Matter — has called the series “one of the most important news events of the year.”
This is also not about black power