Marsai Martin, announced her new up-and-coming show Saturdays, based on a competitive roller skater who has sickle cell anemia. Fascinated by the sport and aware of the fact she has never seen sickle cell highlighted in fiction positively, Marsai wanted to produce a show that combined both concepts, which is how Saturdays was born.
Emphasis on the positive way these issues are dealt with is important to her, since she does not have time to portray black pain for mass consumption. This is something that seems to be a must in all movies or shows made by black women and men. A genuine issue considering there are writers who have had shows they pitched- rejected because they would not include this mandatory black pain that Hollywood executives are obsessed with seeing.
The show will be on Disney, and had grown adults making public announcements on Twitter that they would make the time to watch a Disney show, regardless of the fact they are in their twenties and thirties.
Starring Omar Gooding as Cal, Golden Brooks, who we all loved as Maya on Girlfriends – as Deb, she is a very deserving actress, after struggling to land roles after Girlfriends was cut. Danielle Jalade will play the major character, Paris Johnson. Jermaine Harris plays the role of her brother. Samantha Smith and Daria Johns will play with her two best friends at the show. The series has Norman Vance Jr. as the lead writer. His previous shows being Girlfriends and Moesha, and Queen Sugar, just to name a few. So he can be trusted with this.
Disney’s executives were impressed by Marsai’s commitment to portraying women in an empowering light, coupled with her no compromise stance with being a diverse storyteller. Marsai already owns her own production called Genius Entertainment. And is one of the youngest people to receive the NAACP award.
Not that she was honored, but Marsai has spoken about how receiving awards does not mean anything, and not receiving awards, especially from dinosaur institutions such as the Oscars- as black creatives should not be taken as a sign that we are not good enough.
Marsai is so important as a figure- not necessarily for children her age, because she is not responsible for being anybody’s role model. People need to learn to raise the children they brought into this world and leave celebrities out of it.
Rather, she reflects how children thrive when they are supported and encouraged to go after all the ideas they have. Not because of the possible financial gains that may come, but overall for their development, as they grow into young adults.
Especially young women, who have so many voices telling them what they should be while growing up. Even a few adults can learn lessons from Marsai Martin and apply her confidence and assured nature to their own lives. It is like a muscle once you practice trusting yourself and believing, and actually attempting to bring your ideas to life, it becomes easier. Even when you fail, it does not matter, because you will feel proud that you actually followed through with something you wanted to do for the longest time.
