Remembering the black entertainment pacesetters who brought colour to the big screen

Remembering the black entertainment pacesetters who brought colour to the big screen

Black Entertainment Television (BET) is launched 1980

African American couple Robert L. Johnson and Sheila Johnson in 1980 launched a two-hour a week program on Nickelodeon. The network was developed and created for African-American viewership and became an instant favourite among the society. The network became huge and later grew into a 24/7 television entertainment network from which prestigious BET Awards was birthed. Today, the network still exists and is the most watched Black Tv network in the world. The Johnson family later sold the network to become the first African American self-made billionaires.

Even though many more groundbreaking happenings will follow in the years after the launch of BET, these serve as the most successful marks in the black entertainment industry that will pave way for Black Panther and now Sade, the live-action adaptation of an Africa princess by Disney.

Last Edited by:Ismail Akwei Updated: July 30, 2018

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