What I’d Green Light Today
If we’re serious about building a future-forward Black media ecosystem, here’s where I’d start.
I started riffing on this idea on social media, and the conversation took off. So I figured I’d bring it here as a creative blueprint for what’s possible.
While programming for Black audiences has undeniably grown in volume, there’s still a gap in vision. The formats that shaped us — nightly news, cultural commentary, community roundtables — haven’t been reimagined with the same energy we give to scripted content and nostalgia-driven reboots.
This isn’t just a call for one specific media network (liiiike BET) to step up (though, respectfully, the recommendations below are an alley oop).
This is a vision for any culture-forward media company committed to shaping the narrative of Black life—one that honors our nuance, reflects our evolution, and resists being flattened by metrics and trends.
This perspective comes from over 15 years of studying, producing, and amplifying stories for Black audiences across platforms. That includes serving as part of the market research and strategy team behind EBONY’s “Moving Black Forward” report in 2022—a national study capturing the values, habits, and aspirations of modern Black consumers.
From campaign scripting to consumer insights, my work has always centered our stories not just as content, but as cultural capital.
Here’s what I’d greenlight today:
A flagship nightly news program hosted by Joy-Ann Reid and/or Don Lemon.
Think culturally fluent journalism paired with incisive roundtable dialogue. No performative punditry—just real depth, real stakes, and conversations that move the culture forward.
Teen Summit 2.0, reimagined for Gen Z and hosted by Marsai Martin. A revival that honors the legacy of the late Ananda Lewis, whose presence on the original series helped shape a generation. This new iteration would center intergenerational conversations on identity, politics, climate, tech, sex, and everything in between.
The Soul Lounge, a mash-up of 106 & Park and Video Soul.
Hosted by Tank and J. Valentine of the R&B Money podcast OR Terrell of the Terrell Show — bridging nostalgia and newness with layered interviews and live performance vibes.A late night talk show fronted by Keke Palmer. She’s got the charisma, the comedic timing, and the range. Give her a format that honors The Mo'Nique Show and nods to Arsenio, but with her own Gen Z-millennial hybrid sauce.
Comic View: Recharged, with KevOnStage and friends. Elevate the comedians already killing it online and put their brilliance on national display. It’s time to move their talent from timelines to prime time—where it belongs.
Black Wealth, powered by Earn Your Leisure. Let’s stop burying financial literacy on social media. Bring it to the big screen in a format that fuses education, entertainment, and economic empowerment.
Black Expat Stories, my original travel and lifestyle series, explores America’s Next Great Migration—also known as the Blaxit. This new wave of movement is taking Black Americans across borders, where many are building lives marked by greater safety, sovereignty, and joy. Through rich, global storytelling, the series documents a historic cultural shift and offers the kind of content our culture needs. These are stories that expand what we believe is possible and remind us that the American Dream, for some, can look like leaving.
The best part is none of this requires starting from scratch. The blueprints are there. The talent is ready. The audience is waiting.
If we’re serious about evolving Black media, we need to move beyond nostalgia and novelty. The future calls for substance, intention, and storytelling that meets the moment — not just content that fills a slot.
That lineup above is what I’d greenlight today.
Would you watch?
-Courtney
P.S.: If you’re a production company or creative team developing projects like these and looking for visionary-level storytelling support, learn more about working with me here.
Ideas are only the beginning. The right story can take them further. I’m here to help.