Netflix’s Strong Black Lead shows SA’s Ama Qamata some love

Star of Netflix’s Blood & Water Ama Qamata is the latest star to cover the fifth issue of ‘Strong Black Bae.’

Strong Black Bae is a digital series started by Netflix’s Strong Black Lead account, and it is aimed at “putting the spotlight on the hottest and finest talent in the game.”

Previous cover stars include the likes of Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa, Dolemite is my Name’s Da’Vine Joy and Queen Sono’s Pearl Thusi, so it’s safe to say that Qamata is in good company.

Thanks to the feature, we now know that Qamata is a Virgo queen who is all about her beauty rest, shopping, and Netflixing while she chills.

Draped in Maxhosa, Qamata speaks about her dream role, her love and respect for Mam’ Connie Chiume and her dreams of starring alongside Lupita Nyong’o. Check out the full feature below.

 

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Issue #005 of #StrongBlackBae is officially HERE, featuring the absolutely incredible @amaqamata – star of the breakout drama #BloodAndWater. In this issue, we explore Ama’s tips for self-care, who she looks to for inspiration, and her dream of one day acting alongside @lupitanyongo ❤️ also – get into these LOOKS because chile! THE MATERIAL! ????????Swipe for the full spread!???????? ????: @jamalaun

A post shared by Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) on Jul 30, 2020 at 12:23pm PDT

What is Strong Black Lead? 

Strong Black Lead is more than a social media account, it is the project title for Netflix’s marketing arm which was launched back in 2018 with the aim of elevating Netflix’s catalogue of Black programming.

According to a recent article by Fast Company, the main idea with SBL is to show that there isn’t a monolithic Black experience or single way to be Black.

The idea came from communications strategist, Myles Worthington, who joined the company in 2016 as part of Netflix’s consumer marketing team.

He works with Maya Watson, Jasmyn Lawson, and Dani Howe to bring to life a hub aimed at showcasing the depth and breadth of the talent featured on Netflix.

“A lot of Black audiences, we had found in research, didn’t understand that we are one of the biggest producers and creators of Black content in entertainment,” said Watson.

Most recently, the SBL team and Netflix’s acquisition team managed to pull off one of the most amazing moves in streaming history.

They helped Netflix gain the rights to stream a slate of iconic black sitcoms including Moesha, Girlfriends, Half & Half, and Sister Sister to name a few.

Time to pop bottles????????
The following classic shows are coming to @Netflix (US)

Moesha – Aug 1
The Game S1-3 – Aug 15
Sister Sister – Sept 1
Girlfriends – Sept 11
The Parkers – Oct 1
Half & Half – Oct 15
One on One – Oct 15

To celebrate, here’s a message from your faves: pic.twitter.com/zohNPEo0rz

— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) July 29, 2020

There is currently no word on if and when these will air in South Africa, but one can only hope.

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