New Animated Series Celebrates Black Love and Black Hair
Matthew A. Cherry made history when he raised over $300,000 to produce his short animated film, Hair Love. Released in 2019, the film gained viral buzz for portraying active Black fathers. It went on to win the Academy Award in 2020 for Best Animated Short Film.
Now, the short is being turned into a series for MAX. It will star millennial parents Stephen Love and Angela Young—voiced by Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi and Issa Rae—and their daughter, Zuri.
In June, Cherry described the series as "set in Chicago & follows the Young-Love family, parents Stephen Love & Angela Young, daughter Zuri & their pet cat Rocky as they juggle their careers, relationships, parenthood, social issues & multi-generational dynamics while trying to make a better life for themselves."
The series will also redefine beauty standards as the main characters all sport natural hairstyles.
Writer Ariel Baker described Young Love in an opinion essay for PopSugar as "the letter of self-acceptance that Black children and the community as a whole deserve."
Young Love will also feature vocal talent from Loretta Devine, Harry Lennix, Tamar Braxton, and Brooke Conaway.
In addition to the series, Cherry just released Hair Love A-B-C, a board book for little children that describes Black hairstyles for little readers. Vashti Harrison illustrates it.
"We wanted to reimagine how we teach our babies and toddlers their ABC's with more cultural specificity towards Black Hair and family moments."