Opinion
Oscar-winning actress and “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg announced that she is teaming up with the Black streaming service known as Blkfam, which aims to create free, kid-friendly content for Black audiences.
Goldberg’s new venture
Goldberg is an equity investor in Blkfam, which launched across multiple platforms yesterday.
“I have a 10-year-old great-granddaughter and there’s not a lot of content out there created by people who look like her, for her,” Goldberg, 68, told Variety. “I have the feeling that we are not always represented in the best possible way.”
Goldberg went on to say that before investing in Blkfam, “no one ever invited me to be part of the ground floor. And this isn’t even the ground floor, it’s the basement!”
“I like the idea of being part of something that will grow,” he added. “As I get older, I say, ‘Wow, things will outlast me.’ This is one of the things I hope will outlast me: I could be the black woman Walt Disney!
Funny Goldberg should mention Disney…
Related: Whoopi Goldberg Launches Vile Attack on Tim Scott for Denying Systemic Racism – “Looney Tune”
The founder of Blkfam speaks
Founded by digital media veteran Larry Adams, who personally called Goldberg to ask him to invest, Blkfam boasts a content library that “includes more than 20 syndicated series, with over 1,000 hours of animated titles, dozens of animated characters of color and diverse genre experiences, and hundreds of hours of original musical content.”
Blkfam also has 10 original live-action and animated series in development that will debut on the streaming service later this year.
Adams explained that he was motivated to create Blkfam after browsing the black programming section of a popular streaming service, which he declined to name, to find something to watch with his kids, only to discover “a ton of content prohibited for minors”.
“Black culture and content is often stereotyped, isolated, or erased, so I wanted to create a platform where my children and I could enjoy ourselves without having to face the same everyday prejudices,” Adams said. “By curating authentic content, proven through data and AI, primarily from Black storytellers, we have created a service that reflects true inclusion and diversity, where Black parents and children in particular can feel holistically represented.”
Adams is particularly excited about collaborating with Goldberg, stating that “The magic of working with Whoopi Goldberg is that she has a magical bag of ideas.”
Related: Whoopi Goldberg Claims Trump Will ‘Disappear’ From Journalists and ‘Gay People’ If He Is Re-Elected
Blkfam content partner and business model
Content partners for Bkfam include Candle Media’s ATTN and PlayWatch Kids.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Blkfam – we believe this is a historic moment for families everywhere,” PlayWatch owner Jimmy Jenkins said in a statement. “Ultimately this platform will impact our children and our children’s children.”
Adams concluded by saying that Blkfam’s business model will involve financing original series through brand partnerships.
“We’re not doing the same thing that other streamers have done where they go out and get 10,000 hours of material,” he said. “Our curated approach means [the catalog] it won’t be as deep and endless as Netflix, but there will be interesting faces you’ve never seen before.
Goldberg regularly enjoys making all things race-related and using it to divide our country even more every day on “The View,” so it’s no surprise that she jumped to get involved in this racially charged enterprise. Considering the number of streaming services available today, however, it remains to be seen whether it will actually be as successful as hoped.
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