Black millennials are becoming more and more interconnected in the era of social media and online content. We’ve all spent countless hours bewitched on youtube, watching video after video, or reading one insane comment after another. What is exciting to see is the growing trend of representation in online content attempting to depict a more nuanced example of the black millennial experience. So why not spend some time watching some hidden gems on youtube. Here are three independent series you can binge watch with no shame and all gain.
Nneka the Uber Driver
Co- created by: Fum Fum Ko, a Nigerian American producer/director and Nickclette Izuegbu a Nigerian-American actress, writer and producer.
Fum Fum Ko on her show: “Ultimately, the premise of the series is very relatable. A lot of people deal with the pressure of trying to live for their parents or please their parents. When stories are relatable, people find joy and comfort in the story. We want people to laugh, we want people to feel joy when they watch the series. We want them to know that they are not the only one.”
Ackee & Saltfish
Created by: Jamaican-British filmmaker Cecile Emeke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90tI2bJ_ARo
This is what Cecile had to say about the short film turned web series, “‘Ackee & Saltfish’ is definitely based on personal experiences of mine. It’s very conversational in style, and there are a lot of intertwined themes in there, from religion to race to gentrification to popular culture and so forth. That’s definitely a reflection of my reality. With my loved ones, our conversations might start off as a random debate about whether meat is bad for you or not, then somehow meander to outrage at the neocolonialism happening throughout the world, and yet somehow end up with us reassuring one another that Jazmine Sullivan is indeed underrated and wondering if we can slide into her direct messages and be ‘besties’.”
The Grapevine
Created by: Ashley Akkuna, Nigerian American filmmaker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-KU-8iOyiE
Regarding the show’s genesis she has said, “I came up with the concept of the show after graduating from film school with no job prospects and having to move back home. The economy was in a horrible state, and I was being offered internships with no pay. It was tough. My parents watch a lot of news. And I noticed on these stations, there was no millennial voice. That was a problem for me. I decided to create this show, to take the conversation on social media, that my friends and I were having, and place it on a visual platform.”
