• calendar_month April 19, 2023
• folder Lifestyle

Mansa, a black content streaming service, has just launched. After raising $8 million this ad-supported streaming service is ready for its debut. Founded by a group of actors and filmmakers, their aim is to promote black culture globally. Furthermore – they give black creators a worldwide platform to promote their content. As their website explains, they built this service to “connect the culture.” 

Why It Matters

Photo Credit: Envato.com

According to their official site, Mansa are reclaiming the stories of their culture, heritage, and people. “We have the power to control our own narratives, and tell our own stories on our own terms.” A powerful, and justified statement. 

Although as a country we’ve made leaps and bounds when it comes to black representation in film and cable TV, the behind-the-scenes stats are still daunting and reflect tremendous room for growth. Black actors are severely underpaid in comparison to their counterparts. Moreover, only 6% of writers, directors, and producers of U.S. produced films are Black according to McKinsey & Company. However, according to ASU, 12.9% of leading roles on TV shows are comprised of Black actors. This  is a near-accurate portrayal of the U.S. population, which ASU cites is 13.4% Black. 

Having Black representation on-screen is important, but so is having proper representation off-camera in positions of control. Mansa could be a way to combat this staggeringly low statistic by encouraging and spotlighting the work of Black filmmakers, thereby inspiring, motivating, and encouraging future generations of Black content creators. 

As Mansa states, “In this industry, there is an abundance of remarkable Black storytellers and a scarcity of resources to identify, cultivate, and present their stories at scale.” Mansa gives Black creators that opportunity. 

The support of Mansa parallels the hope that the entertainment industry will build itself to be a fair representation of our U.S. population. This hope extends itself to equal and fair pay, and proper representation of  roles on-screen and positions of control off-screen. 

The Word “Mansa”

Photo Credit: History Hustle

The word “Mansa” is short for “Mandinka” which translates to sultan, king, or emperor. “Mansa” also is the name of Mansa Musa, who was Emperor Musa of the West African empire of Mali. Mansa Musa I was the ruler of the Mali Empire from 1312 to 1337. Though it’s not confirmed, we can only assume this word was chosen by no mistake to be the name of the newly released streaming app spotlighting Black culture and Black curated content.

The Creators of Mansa

Photo Credit: AfroTech.com / Unique Nicole / Jesse Grant / Robin L Marshall / Karwai Tang

The Co-Founders of Mansa feature some familiar faces. The lineup includes David Oyelowo, Nate Parker, Chikè Okonkwo, and Zak Tenjeloff. David Oyelowo is most known for his acting career and masterful performance in Selma as Martin Luther King, Jr., though he is notably also a producer and director. 

Co-Founder Nate Parker has also had a successful acting career with one of his most momentous performances being in The Birth of a Nation. Chiké Okonkwo is no exception, as a talented Black actor himself, followed by Zak Tenjeloff, an entrepreneur and investor. 

Stream the Culture

Photo Credit: Mansa.com

You can sign up for Mansa by heading to Mansa.com. They have a hefty plethora of both films and television shows, many of which contain actors with long-standing notability like the film Second Coming with Idris Elba, Taye Diggs in River Runs Red, Eva Marcille in Sister Code, Chris Brown’s Welcome to My Life, Danny Glover in Mysteria, and the list goes on! Our point being – this streaming app is the real deal featuring high quality content with both widely known and upcoming talent the world should surely know about. 

Also, let us not lose sight of the cost: $00.00. The FREE price tag makes Mansa a service that’s hard to say no to. Bear in mind, you will face an ad or two throughout your viewing experience. To download the app to your television, tablet, or mobile device, simply search “Mansa” in the app store.