Black Twitter: A People's History

Last updated
Black Twitter: A People's History
Black Twitter - A People's History poster.jpg
GenreDocuseries
ShowrunnerJoie Jacoby [1]
Written by Jason Parham
Directed by Prentice Penny
Starring
No. of episodes3
Production
Executive producers
List
Producer Jason Parham
Production companies
Original release
Network Hulu
ReleaseMay 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)

Black Twitter: A People's History is a 2024 documentary film series about the history of Black Twitter. The series is produced by Onyx Collective. [1]

Contents

The three-part docuseries is based on Jason Parham's 2021 Wired story and was directed by Prentice Penny. [2] [3] [4]

The series chronicles the oral history of the influence of the Black community on American society and politics since the Obama administration. It also shows how Black people had used Twitter as a general means of expression to comment on everyday life. [2] [5] It touches on a range of serious topics (Black Lives Matter, Trayvon Martin, January 6 United States Capitol attack), but also more humorous topics (the TV drama Scandal, Crying Jordan meme). [5]

The trailer for the series was released on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. [6] The series then premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival in March 2024 [7] and debuted to the public on Hulu on Thursday, May 9, 2024. [5]

Development

Penny was finishing the scripted show Insecure and wanted something different when thinking about his next project. [8] He goes on to share his reasoning on why he accepted this series as his next project: [9]

"When I was looking for my next project, Black Twitter: A People’s History excited me because I knew it would be a challenge and make me feel scared again creatively," Penny says. "If we don’t document our history, who will? Making this docuseries with Onyx Collective showed me that the power was never in the platform; it was always in us. As expected, Black Twitter has many thoughts, and I can’t wait to see who all gon’ be there on May 9!"

Guests

The following guest star in the series: [7]

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 3May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)

Season 1 (2024)

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleOriginal air date
11"Chapter One"May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)
Overviews early 2000s networking services like MySpace and BlackPlanet, and how the Black community came to Twitter instead of Facebook. The episode highlights prominent guests sharing anecdotes, including the origins of #BlackGirlMagic, President Barack Obama's election in 2008, and the debut of Shonda Rhimes' "Scandal", all of which helped create a robust social collective.
22"Chapter Two"May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)
Explains Black Twitter during the #BlackLivesMatter movement and a post-racial America.
33"Chapter Three"May 9, 2024 (2024-05-09)
Highlights Black Twitter's collective reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic, acquisition of Twitter by Elon Musk, dealing with cancel culture within Black Twitter, Hotep Twitter, and self-awareness of Black Twitter reenforcing structures of oppression.

Reception

When the series was announced and teaser was released on March 8, 2024, Black Twitter had initial negative responses. Some called the series a "big media big-footing, of The Man swooping in to claim a piece of a sacred subculture". Another even questioned the existence of the project because of "who it will serve and benefit most beyond people that don’t need to be in our (cultural) business in the first place, including people thirsty to exploit Black Twitter". [5]

The series is described as "an archive, reminding us that we possess the power to demand change; we need only to use our voices to activate it". Moreover, it showcases history that is "challenging mentally and emotionally to relive", while also complementing it with some "humorous Black discourse". [2]

Rendy Jones of RogerEbert.com writes, "the doc functions as a surface-level crash course" and how "the movement deserves more than a superficial appreciation", while "it breezes through topics ripe for deeper conversation". [10]

James Poniewozik, chief TV critic for The New York Times , writes "it's an engagingly specific snapshot of the Twitter era and the social period it overlapped with: a time that was serious even when it was silly, that was fun until it wasn't". [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patton Oswalt</span> American stand-up comedian and actor (born 1969)

Patton Peter Oswalt is an American stand-up comedian and actor. His acting roles include Spence Olchin in the sitcom The King of Queens (1998–2007) and narrating the sitcom The Goldbergs (2013–2023) as adult Adam F. Goldberg. After making his acting debut in the Seinfeld episode "The Couch", he has appeared in a variety of television series, such as Parks and Recreation, Community, Two and a Half Men, Drunk History, Reno 911!, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Archer, Veep, Justified, Kim Possible, Modern Family, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and We Bare Bears. He portrayed Principal Ralph Durbin in A.P. Bio (2018–2021) and Matthew the Raven in the TV series The Sandman (2022–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glynn Turman</span> American actor, writer, director (born 1947)

Glynn Turman is an American actor, director, writer, and producer. First coming to attention as a child actor in the original 1959 Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun, Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera Peyton Place (1968–1969), high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson in the 1975 coming-of-age film Cooley High, math professor and retired Army colonel Bradford Taylor on the NBC sitcom A Different World (1988–1993), and Baltimore mayor Clarence Royce on the HBO drama series The Wire. He received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role on the HBO drama series In Treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson George</span> American writer and filmmaker

Nelson George is an American author, columnist, music and culture critic, journalist, and filmmaker. He has been nominated twice for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baratunde Thurston</span> American comedian

Baratunde Rafiq Thurston is an American writer, comedian, and commentator. Thurston co-founded the black political blog Jack and Jill Politics, whose coverage of the 2008 Democratic National Convention was archived in the Library of Congress, and was director of digital for The Onion. In 2012, his book How to Be Black became a New York Times bestseller.

James Poniewozik is an American journalist and television critic. He is the chief TV critic for The New York Times. Earlier in his career, he wrote Time'sTuned In column for 16 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Noah</span> South African comedian (born 1984)

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He was the host of The Daily Show, an American late-night talk show and satirical news program on Comedy Central, from 2015 to 2022. Noah has won various awards, including two Primetime Emmy Awards. He was named one of "The 35 Most Powerful People in New York Media" by The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 and 2018. In 2018, Time magazine named him one of the hundred most influential people in the world. In 2023, he won the Erasmus Prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langston Kerman</span> American actor and comedian (born 1987)

Langston Kerman is an American actor, writer, and comedian. He has acted in shows including Insecure, High Maintenance, Bless This Mess, The Boys and English Teacher. Kerman is a writer and co-star on HBO Max's South Side. His first comedy album, Lightskinned Feelings, was named to Vulture's list of 10 Best Comedy Albums of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prentice Penny</span> American director and producer

Prentice Penny is an American producer, writer and director. He is best known as the showrunner for the HBO series Insecure. He is the writer and director of the Netflix film Uncorked, and the creator and host of Upscale with Prentice Penny. He is also known as a writer and producer of the series Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Hustle, and Scrubs.

<i>Pam & Tommy</i> 2022 American biographical drama television miniseries

Pam & Tommy is an American biographical drama television miniseries chronicling the marriage between actress and model Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, played by Lily James and Sebastian Stan, respectively, during the period their unauthorised sex tape was made public. Based on the 2014 Rolling Stone article "Pam and Tommy: The Untold Story of the World's Most Infamous Sex Tape" by Amanda Chicago Lewis, the series was created for Hulu by Robert Siegel, and is produced by Point Grey Pictures and Annapurna Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onyx Collective</span> American content brand

Onyx Collective is a content brand owned and operated by Disney Entertainment, which primarily consists of projects from creators of color and other underrepresented groups. The brand was first launched on May 17, 2021, with several projects under development for Hulu and Disney+.

<i>Reasonable Doubt</i> (TV series) American television series

Reasonable Doubt is an American legal drama television series created by Raamla Mohamed for Hulu. The series stars Emayatzy Corinealdi as a corporate defense lawyer navigating challenging high-profile cases. The series also stars McKinley Freeman, Tim Jo, Angela Grovey, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Aderinsola Olabode, and Michael Ealy. Reasonable Doubt is Onyx Collective's first scripted television series. It premiered on September 27, 2022. On April 17, 2023, it was renewed for a second season which premiered on August 22, 2024. The series generally received positive reviews from critics.

<i>The 1619 Project</i> (TV series) American TV documentary series (2023)

The 1619 Project is an American documentary television miniseries created for Hulu. It is adapted from The 1619 Project, a New York Times Magazine journalism project focusing on slavery in the United States, which was later turned into the anthology The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story. Hosted by project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones, the executive producer of the docuseries is Oprah Winfrey. The series is a six-episode program produced by Lionsgate Television and was released on Hulu on January 26, 2023. It received generally positive reviews from critics.

UnPrisoned is a comedy-drama television series created by Tracy McMillan, starring Kerry Washington and Delroy Lindo. The series is produced by Onyx Collective. It premiered on Hulu on March 10, 2023. UnPrisoned received generally positive reviews from critics. In November 2023, it was renewed for a second season that premiered on July 17, 2024. In September 2024, the series was cancelled after two seasons.

<i>Dear Mama</i> (TV series) 2023 American TV series or program

Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur is an American television documentary miniseries directed by Allen Hughes, about Tupac Shakur and his mother Afeni Shakur. It premiered on FX on April 21, 2023. It received critical acclaim.

The Hair Tales is an American documentary television series that aired on Hulu and the Oprah Winfrey Network. It was co-created by Tracee Ellis Ross, who also hosts the series, and Michaela Angela Davis. It explores the significance and history of Black hair. It premiered on October 22, 2022.

Brandon "Jinx" Jenkins is an American journalist, podcast host, TV host, writer, photographer, and DJ.

<i>How to Die Alone</i> 2024 American TV series or program

How to Die Alone is an American comedy series created by and starring Natasha Rothwell. The series follows a woman who has never been in love, and decides to change her life after a near-death experience. Conrad Ricamora, Jocko Sims, and KeiLyn Durrel Jones also star. It premiered on Hulu on September 13, 2024.

References

  1. 1 2 "Hulu Docuseries 'Black Twitter: A People's History' Premieres Thursday, May 9, on Hulu | What's On Hulu". ABC. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  2. 1 2 3 Tinubu, Aramide (2024-05-09). "'Black Twitter: A People's History' Offers a Hasty Archive of a Bygone Era: TV Review". Variety. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  3. ↑ France, Lisa Respers (2024-05-08). "Prentice Penny is far from 'Insecure' about his Black Twitter docuseries". CNN. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  4. ↑ Lawrence, Andrew (2024-05-08). "'That open tweet is the canvas': behind the highs, lows and memes of Black Twitter". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Vognar, Chris (2024-05-09). "'Black Twitter: A People's History' tells how humor and hashtags fostered a subculture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  6. ↑ JoVonn, Jeroslyn (2024-04-25). "Hulu Releases Trailer For Three-Part Docuseries On The History Of Black Twitter". Black Enterprise. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  7. 1 2 "'Black Twitter: A People's History': Hulu Docuseries Gets First Teaser And Premiere Date". Yahoo News. 2024-03-11. Retrieved 2024-05-14.
  8. ↑ Frank, Allegra (2024-05-13). "'Black Twitter' Tells the Biggest Story in Social Media". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  9. ↑ "Hulu's New Documentary Highlights The Story And Impact Of Black Twitter". Essence. 2024-04-24. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  10. ↑ Jones, Rendy (2024-05-09). "Black Twitter: A People's History movie review (2024) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  11. ↑ Poniewozik, James (2024-05-09). "Review: 'Black Twitter' Looks at Who Gave the Platform Its Voice". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2024-05-21.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.