'Little Apple' Is The Best Series Since 'Awkward Black Girl'

It was truly a pleasure to attend the 2019 American Black Film Festival last week – it truly exceeded every single expectation I had about film festivals, so much so that I’m already looking forward to next year’s. Meeting film makers, attending the awards ceremony and seeing celebrities was fun, but getting to check out different films and series before they blow up was actually my highlight.

One that stood out to me in particular was a web series called Little Apple, created by young writer, director, producer Riley S. Wilson. The live action sci-fi drama tells follows a 9-year-old claircognizant (all-knowing) little Black girl growing up in a new Harlem, N.Y.

Huffington Post Black Voices wrote:

As the young Harlemnite, played by Milan Williams, becomes increasingly cognizant of race, gender and class-based hierarchies in society, she develops a resistance to the systems which perpetuate inequality.

There aren’t many things in life more intriguiing than a young Black girl having super powers and using them to fight all types of oppression. Hell, that actually happens everyday if you think about it.

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During the ABFF Award Ceremony, Litte Apple won the Jury Award Best Web Series (presented by Verizon Media). During his speexch, Wilson encouraged fans to “never give up on your dreams” added that it took “nearly five years for me to get my series off the ground.” Last time I saw something so creative, innovative, relatable and woke was when Miss Issa Rae changed the game in 2011 with Misadventures Of An Awkward Black Girl.

Hit the flip for Little Apple is certainly the best thing since ABG.

Black Woman Inspired

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In his speech, Wilson said he surrounded himself with all Black women during the process of creating LA because only they “are the best sources of truth.”

Changing The Black Girl Narrative 

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It’s not often we get to see a Black Girl have super powers without it being deemed Voodoo or Black Magic. It’s hella refreshing to see a sci-fi series with a Black Girl as lead.

The Grind

You gotta respect a young person who makes his own way in the industry. Just like Issa, Riley funded his project the grassroots way, hitting up everybody and their mama for cash. He created a kickstarter campaign and after that caught the attention of Precious producer Lisa Cortes. And the rest is Black history.

It’s Woke Without Being Depressing 

With so much going on in the world, it’s important as Black folks that we stay aware at all times. But it doesn’t mean we should lose our light hearted ways and sense of humor. Little Apple was the perfect balance of that.

Creator Riley S. WIlson And Actress Milan Williams Are Next Up

That’s it. That’s the tweet.