Netflix has launched a Black Lives Matter category.
The streaming platform has revealed details of its new curated collection which focuses on “Black storytelling” as global protests continue following the death of George Floyd.
In a series of social media posts, the service tweeted: “When we say Black Lives Matter, we also mean ‘Black storytelling matters.’
“With an understanding that our commitment to true, systemic change will take time – we’re starting by highlighting powerful and complex narratives about the Black experience.
“When you log onto Netflix today, you will see a carefully curated list of titles that only begin to tell the complex and layered stories about racial injustice and Blackness in America.”
Netflix’s list of over 45 titles includes Ava DuVernay’s ’13th’ and ‘When They See Us’ alongside ‘Mudbound’, ‘Orange Is The New Black’, ‘White People’ and ‘When They See Us’.
Also showcased in the new category is Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning movie ‘Moonlight’, and Spike Lee’s ‘Da 5 Bloods’, with the latter being released on Friday (12.06.20).
The move comes after ‘Little Britain’ – which originally aired between 2003 and 2005 – was removed from Netflix, as well as BBC iPlayer and BritBox due to the programme’s main stars, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, dressing as black people for some sketches.
In a statement about the removal, a spokesperson for the BBC said: “There’s a lot of historical programming available on BBC iPlayer, which we regularly review. Times have changed since ‘Little Britain’ first aired so it is not currently available on BBC iPlayer.”
Since the show began in 2003, ‘Little Britain’ has long been the subject of controversy surrounding its sketches, including its depiction of “portly Thai bride” Ting Tong – played by Lucas – and of Desiree DeVere, a black woman played by Walliams in full make-up.
READ: Netflix And Chill With A Collection Of African Made Films
And following a renewed focus on issues of race and representation amid the current Black Lives Matter protests, the show has come under fire again, prompting streaming services to cut ties with the series.
Alongside ‘Little Britain’, Netflix has also axed spin-off series ‘Come Fly With Me’.
