ABC has announced that Jay-Z, Will Smith and Aaron Kaplan will produce the Marissa Jo Cerar series, Women of the Movement.
The series will tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the women who helped spark change across the world. First, the show’s opening season will tell the story of Emmett Till through the eyes of his mother, Mamie Till. Till devoted her life to the American social justice movement after the tragic murder of her teenage son. Most notably, Till’s decision to have an open casket at her son’s funeral sparked outrage and action from activists across the country.
Initially, Jay-Z and Roc Nation shopped the series to HBO nearly five years ago. Since then, the show has evolved and emerged into its current form. It joins the likes of Mixed-ish, Fall and Rise: The Story of 9/11 and a number of other series to hit ABC in the coming months.
In addition, Women of the Movement joins the growing list of projects Jay-Z has played a role in. Most recently, the New York billionaire executive produced Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story. Also, the Grammy winner won a Peabody Award for his role in TIME: The Kalief Browder Story.
There is no scheduled release date for Women of the Movement.
