For a while we here in the NBPC labs of Black-ness have been mixing and matching various new media concoctions to engage the masses on issues that range from Black masculinity, to a big hurricane mess named Katrina, and recently we sent some talented filmmakers to Haiti to capture the voices of real Haitians dealing with loss and reinvention. So we always keep the conversation light, right?!

But seriously, in all these methods we’ve found dedicated niche audiences who engage with the content, because they are hungry for challenging content about Blackness, and we are very encouraged. (Who says Black folk only want to watch hip-hop videos?! Not us.) This is why we are launching a brand new idea here at NBPC via blackpublicmedia.org, the summer season of new content. This year will be our very first season, and we hope you stick with us for all the coming glorious weeks of freshness. We could not be luckier to start off with amazing web series from two very talented independent producers – Gabriel Tolliver, and Angela Tucker.

So, what is the summer season? Well, it’s brand new episodes of unadulterated contemporary Blackness you will not find anywhere else – starting after the 4th of July and going all through the summer. It is a range of fresh web series and interactive projects by producers of color exploring issues and characters that you might not find on cable, no matter how high you surf those hundreds of channels! This will be a social media ready conversation that you can jump in and out of across many platforms.

First, right after you celebrate your independence from those darn British, July 5th, we kick off with a web series called “Mondo Black,” an episodic documentary exploration of fringe Blackness. From UFOs to urban farming, this series is where you want to be for that slightly off-beat Blackness your mama should have warned you about. Producer Gabriel Tolliver brings a psychedelic perspective to his work, and he will be bringing us fresh episodes of “Mondo Blackness” every Tuesday and we very much look forward to your diving in and exploring his findings. Next week will bring the very first episode in this series; the teaser is embedded here for your pleasure. Simply titled “Black Employment” it explores what some might consider a very unusual vocation even in these rough economic times. Check it out below.

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Take a sec to “friend” Mondo Black on Facebook, it’ll be a warm welcome to them.Once we’ve hit you with the fringe black we proceed to ask you to complete a very intriguing question: “Black folk don’t…” How would you finish that statement? Well, producer Angela Tucker (of “Invisible Men” fame) will help you answer them with many hilarious and terribly politically incorrect perspectives from everyday folk on the street. Black folk don’t show up on time. Black folk don’t do yoga. Black folk don’t tip. Discuss amongst yourselves! Add your own “Black Folk Don’t…” statement to the twitter timeline. Those episodes are sure to put a smile on your face and some chewy critical thinking in your head.

We hope you tune in to both these series, and we hope you are not at all shy in your feedback to us, it will only help us make next summer’s season even more Blacker, Hotter, and Fresher-er! (Yes, these are words.)