by Jeroslyn JoVonn
February 20, 2024
James DuBose opens up about the launch of In The Black Network and its recent expansion to ITBN Africa.
James DuBose opens up on “The Culture Shift” about the launch of his In The Black Network and its recent expansion to ITBN Africa.
With a focus on amplifying quality content from Black and African creators, ITBN is shifting the culture forward through its work to unify the diaspora one piece of content at a time. The AVOD streaming service highlights Black voices and original stories that are culturally significant and relatable for all audiences.
Recognized as a forward-thinking and visionary leader, DuBose is renowned for creating influential content over the last two decades that has reshaped the culture and amplified Black individuals’ voices and diverse experiences worldwide. From executive producing syndicated entertainment shows like “Dish Nation” and E! Network’s “WAGS: Atlanta,” to creating hit projects under his DuBose Entertainment banner, including “Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is,” “Tiny and Toya, Toya: A Family Affair,” “Hell Date,” “Comic View,” and many more, DuBose has diligently built a foundation centered on his four core principles: inspiring, educating, uplifting, and entertaining Black audiences.
With the launch of ITBN and ITBN Africa, DuBose is looking to promote Black talent and stories globally.
“I’m trying to build In The Black to be our Black Tubi. To be a place that, you don’t have to download five or six different Black apps to see Black content,” DuBose tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“We want you to come to one place, and that’s internationally, that’s locally, that’s US, that’s every market that you could think of, Caribbean, and so forth, to come one place and stay.”
DuBose launched In The Black Network in October 2023 to serve as a Black-owned and Black-led streaming platform committed to amplifying Black content and its creators. Now, with the expansion into ITBN Africa, the network has added 70 hours of programming that represents the vibrancy of African cultures.
Launched on Feb. 5, ITBN expanded to include a rich slate of African independent TV series, films, and documentaries, including award-winning titles “A Light Through Coloured Glass,” “GOBE,” “My Bald Self,” “Mummy Dearest,” and “Bachelor’s Eve.”
“You know how difficult it is for us to get anything greenlit in Hollywood to get anything on air,” DuBose said. “And that was one of the main things we wanted to make that process a lot easier. Because there’s a great deal of talent in our culture.”
As Hollywood faces growing criticism for drawing back pledged support of diverse creators in 2020, DuBose hopes ITBN can serve as a resource for Black visionaries looking to amplify their content.
“This is what this is about. So it doesn’t matter whether you have a name or you don’t have a name. If you have quality content that we feel resonates with the culture, we want to make that easier to get it on the platform,” he said.
You can watch In The Black Network online or through the ITBN app. Press play below to hear more about DuBose’s plans for the network and how his decades in television shaped his vision for the new platform.
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