Delivering Black Media Stories for Kids
And remembering our war dead on Memorial Day
by Leslie Fields-Cruz
For a while now, my colleagues and I have been eager to support public media content featuring and designed for Black children and youth. This week, I’m pleased to announce that Keyshawn Solves It (formerly Keyshawn the Keymaker), a new BPM-funded podcast series by Ed Jenkins and Avery Moore Kloss, is now available on PBS Kids.
The serialized podcast is about a 10-year-old African American boy who inherits a set of keys that he uses to help solve the mystery of disappearing bikes in his North Minneapolis neighborhood. It also introduces young listeners to Juneteenth and its origins while reinforcing important lessons that are “keys to success,” such as resilience, self-worth and responsibility. The podcast includes eight episodes and will roll out twice weekly on the PBS KIDS Video App, PBS KIDS YouTube channel, and all major podcasting platforms.
I listened to the podcast over the weekend and it warmed my heart to hear those young Black voices coming across the airwaves. I wish such a program had existed when my children were young.
If you have youngsters in your life, encourage them to listen. And if you are working on youth-oriented public media projects, don’t hesitate to reach out and let us know how we can help.
I hope you had a commemorative and restful Memorial Day weekend. Several members of my family have served in the U.S. Armed forces, dating back at least as far as the Civil War. My father occasionally recounts the story of a cousin who, on his last visit with my grandparents before shipping off to WWII, expressed how certain he was that he wouldn’t survive the war. Sadly, his premonition came true. I long for a day when warfare is no longer an option nations pursue to settle disputes. Meanwhile, I appreciate that our country sets aside a day to remember those who’ve lost their lives in military service. I look forward to seeing more films about the contributions Black service members and families like mine have made over the centuries. There are still too many untold stories.
Have a good rest of this short work week.
— Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media
