BET HER, in partnership with producer Tressa Azarel Smallwood of MegaMind Media, announces the green light of five female-centric original short films, directed by prominent African American women primarily known for being in front of the camera. Veteran Hollywood stars VIVICA A. FOX (“Kill Bill”), YVETTE NICOLE BROWN (“Community“), MONA SCOTT YOUNG (“The Gossip Game”), TA’RHONDA JONES (“Empire“) and CARALENE ROBINSON (“Disordher“) dive into location shooting in Maryland’s Prince George’s County this week, helming five brand-new, original films. These 20-minute dramatic short films focus on topics vital to today’s Black women, ranging from the varied impact of breast cancer, mental health struggles, and domestic violence on them and their families.

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The nominations for the 47th Daytime Emmys were announced on May 21. CBS is the front-runner with 57 nods. In terms of other traditional television networks, NBC has 43. ABC has 38 and PBS has 28. Syndicated programs account for 52 of the nominations. Digital streaming platforms are seeing significant numbers too. Amazon Prime has 55 nods and Netflix has 40. YouTube earned 17 nominations. A good chunk of that recognition was the result of this series, written and directed by Dui Jarrod who created BET's Brooklyn. Blue. Sky. and presented by Issa Rae of HBO's Insecure. The series is up for Outstanding Writing Team, Outstanding Directing Team, Outstanding Performance By a Supporting Actress in a Digital Drama for Janet Hubert (General Hospital and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) and Outstanding Performance By a Lead Actress in a Digital Drama for Rowin Amone, a black transgendered person making her series debut.

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The 47th Daytime Emmy Awards were announced on Thursday, and the new trans centered web series "King Ester" received four nominations.

"King Ester" tells the story of a trans woman struggling to find her path in New Orleans during the week before Hurricane Katrina. In the face of an evacuation order, she is forced to make a choice that will impact her future forever. The digital drama debuted in 2019 on Issa Rae's (Insecure) YouTube channel.

Rowin Amone, nominated in the best actress digital drama category, plays the title role of Ester Pappion. Playing opposite Amone and nominated in the best supporting actress in a digital drama category is the original Aunt Viv (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air), Janet Hubert.

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Issa Rae Productions will release a new web series that follows a transgender woman living in New Orleans as she navigates her sexual identity and forges a path to stardom.

Dui Jarrod’s highly-anticipated series King Ester is set pre-Hurricane Katrina as the storm looms over the city and affects the lives around Ester. The series stars Rowin Amone, Pose’s Angelica Ross, and Fresh Prince of Bel Air‘s Janet Hubert.

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It’s no secret that money and stress go hand in hand. “Mo’ money, mo’ problems,” might hold true, but a lack of money, especially when it comes to retirement savings, is a problem like no other.

According to AARP reports, just 35% of African Americans feel they’re doing a good job of saving, and a third admit to having less than one month of funds to rely on in a crisis. This is despite the fact that money management 101 dictates at least six months’ worth if you want to stay afloat. For women, this represents a particular challenge because when you operate at a gender-and-race-based earnings disadvantage (never forget: black women currently earn 61 cents for every dollar earned by white men—and that’s 18 cents less than white women), savings are hard to come by.

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Drama series “King Ester” is slated to premiere on Issa Rae Presents Youtube channel on Oct. 17, Variety has learned exclusively. Starring “Pose’s” Angelica Ross, and Janet Hubert of “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” the series follows an audacious transgender woman named Ester (Rowin Amone) in New Orleans as she navigates her sexual identity and journey to fame while the wrath of Hurricane Katrina terrorizes the city and lives around her. Following its premiere, new episodes will air every Thursday for the next seven weeks.

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