'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAcACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABbAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAICAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwQABREGEgEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMRAAIDAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECAxEhADH/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/ANT3dtehq7Y6y2Z7EDxx2F6wKpJKI3ZC4CqV6SOZR6XgfJ6qnXoRwWXSrCkKsZz0iMfIJxjKRorMSbOctIyxKBlu116cHf/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Black & Iconic: Style Gods is set to premiere on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 9 pm ET on BET network. BET has roped in Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winning actor/singer Billy Porter to host the new pioneering documentary film series.
The series was directed by Lynne Robinson and produced by Stanley Nelson and Firelight Films under the social impact initiative, "Content For Change” to mark Black History Month. Black & Iconic: Style Gods will examine the various ways that racism and high fashion have negatively impacted people of color on a systemic level, and how those effects have persisted over the years.
As per BET network, Black & Iconic: Style Gods will have a four-part, eight-hour documentary series which will honor black cultural pioneers, idols, and activists, as well as their contributions to fashion, music, film, and dance.
The official description of the docu-series, as shared by the BET network, states:
"Weaving dazzling archival footage and original interviews with legendary Black models, fashion designers, and style icons, “Black + Iconic: Style Gods” explores the myriad of ways Black people have overcome racism to ultimately blaze an undeniable trail from the streets through the most exclusive runways of high fashion."
About Billy Porter, the host of Black & Iconic: Style Gods
Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated actor, director, producer, singer, and activist Billy Porter will be hosting and serving as the executive producer for the upcoming BET documentary series, Black & Iconic: Style Gods. The series will explore the historic accomplishments of the Black community in a variety of fields, while recognizing the influence of black cultural innovators.
53-year-old Billy Porter was born on September 21, 1969, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Billy has featured in American Horror Story and Law & Order but is most recognized for his Emmy-winning role as Pray Tell on FX's Pose. Porter is also a well-known theater performer who received a Tony Award for his role in Kinky Boots.
The Black & Iconic: Style Gods host began his theatrical career in a 1991 production of Miss Saigon. He played a Teen Angel in the 1994 revival of Grease.
In 2010, upon his return to New York City, he was chosen to play Belize in the 20th-anniversary production of Tony Kushner's two-part epic, Angels of America, by the New York Signature Theatre Company. In 2016, he co-starred with Audra McDonald in Shuffle Along.
After a brief engagement, Porter married Native Ken co-owner Adam Smith on January 14, 2017. In a short ceremony, the couple wed at a friend's Manhattan penthouse apartment. A mutual acquaintance had introduced them in 2009 at a dinner party. They dated for a year before splitting up and getting back together in 2015.
In July 2022, the Black & Iconic: Style Gods host made his directorial debut with the coming-of-age movie, Anything's Possible, written by Ximena Garcia Lecuona. Porter also authored his debut book, Unprotected, which appeared in October 2021 and was published by Abrams Press.
Porter's most recently released single, Stranger Things, was made available through his record deal with Island Records (UK) and Republic Records (US). In 2022, as a producer of A Strange Loop, the Black &Iconic: Style Gods host also received his second Tony Award for "Best Musical."
BET Network will premiere Black & Iconic: Style Gods on February 18, 2023
Celebrating Black History Month, BET Network's Black & Iconic: Style Gods is set to air on Saturday, February 18, 2023.
The documentary highlights the historic accomplishments of people of color in a variety of sectors, while highlighting the influence of black cultural contributions. Executive producers Connie Orlando and Jason Samuels created Black & Iconic: Style Gods for BET, with senior supervising producer, Steven Ramey.
Speaking about the scope of the documentary series, Stanley Nelson, co-founder of Firelight Films and Executive Producer of the Black + Iconic series, stated:
“We’re thrilled to be working with BET again after the success of our first project together, Through the Fire: The Legacy of Barack Obama. I couldn’t think of a better home for this series celebrating Black icons via the numerous mediums through which Black creatives have made an indelible mark on the culture.”
Connie Orlando, BET Executive, VP, Specials, Music Programming, Music Strategy, and News, also stated:
“With this definitive and original documentary franchise, we look forward to giving some of the amazing Black icons who have shaped and continue to influence popular culture their well-deserved recognition. We are proud to partner with Firelight Films and Stanley Nelson again, a pillar in the creative and documentary communities, and Firelight Films on this groundbreaking series."
Orlando further added:
"We loved having Billy Porter perform at last year's BET Awards, and we are honored to have one of the most recognizable entertainers, trailblazing forces, and a style icon in his own right, narrate 'Style Gods.' We hope 'Black + Iconic' inspires our viewers while reinforcing how Black people are both the source and the driving force of what is cool and next in culture."
Black & Iconic: Style Gods premieres this Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 9 PM ET/PT only on BET, BET Her, BET+, and VH1.
