Representation matters — especially for the youngest among us.
That’s why the release of “Super Sema,” a new children’s show featuring a 10-year-old Kenyan girl with magical powers, is so significant. “‘Super Sema’ is the first African animated superhero series to empower and inspire the next generation of children to change the world through curiosity, creativity, and STEAM [science, tech, engineering, art and math],” the show’s description reads.
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The show, airing on YouTube Originals, was made by Kukua, a women-led company based in Nairobi, Kenya, and was produced by actress Lupita Nyong’o. (The Oscar winner is also an equity partner in Kukua.)
“I am grateful that these women are helping to eradicate the scarcity of Black female protagonists in television and am honored to work alongside them,” Nyong’o said to Variety. “I share Kukua’s goal to empower children through inspiring stories that feature characters in which the children see themselves reflected.”
The lack of representation for African children was a concern for Nyong’o, who notes “how starved we have been as Africans for kid programming that centers us” before now.
All eight episodes — each about 5 or 6 minutes in length — are available on the show’s YouTube channel.
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(Featured Image Credit: Gage Skidmore)