Watch: Natasha Alford & Panama Jackson discuss ‘Gracie’s Corner’ with parents
The remarkable web series "Gracie's Corner" empowers Black kids through Black animation to count and learn their ABC's at home.
“Gracie’s Corner” is an extraordinary web series designed to provide an engaging and educational platform for Black children to learn essential skills, such as counting and mastering the alphabet. What sets this series apart is its innovative use of Black animation, celebrating diversity and inclusivity while fostering a love for learning in young kids.
In “Gracie’s Corner” episodes, children embark on an exciting adventure led by a diverse cast of animated characters and voices, guiding them through the fascinating world of numbers and letters. Natasha Alford and Panama Jackson talk with creators of “Gracie’s Corner” below:
“The following is a transcript of that conversation.”
Alford: [00:00:28] Gracie’s corner was created by the husband and wife team of Javaris Hollingsworth and Arlene Gordon Hollingsworth. And their Juneteenth anthem has already reached more than 10 million views in the last year. I recently got a chance to interview this mom and dad duo, and here’s what they had to say about creating an iconic show. [00:00:48][19.3]
Javoris Hollingsworth: [00:00:50] We first started it. It was really almost out of necessity that we observed when we were looking for other children’s content out there that had children of color in the forefront. And you can probably tell there’s not much of that out there. So we buried, Hey, let’s make our own. And we went at it. [00:01:08][18.8]
Alford: [00:01:10] …when you talk about representation, often children of color in mainstream cartoons or educational programs are the sidekick. Right? They’re sort of in the background. But you center our children in a way that so beautiful. And it’s actually your daughter, Gracelyn, who is the voice for Gracie. [00:01:27][17.4]
Arlene Hollingsworth: [00:01:37] So Grayson has always, always, always been a child. I love to sing. And, you know, my mother was always talented and she always wanted a YouTube channel and came to us saying she wanted one, but we were particular about what we were okay with her doing. And, you know, I know some people have heard the story already, but during the pandemic we were watching things on YouTube with our other two children and didn’t see the representation. And we’re wondering why a lot of the content they were watching didn’t look like them. [00:02:21][44.1]
Alford: [00:02:48] Gracie’s Corner has lots of catchy songs, very good for your children’s spirits and affirming them. And they may be coming to a city near you. The Hollingsworth told me that live shows are also in the works. We can’t wait. Make sure you keep your eyes open. [00:02:48][0.0]
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