Jussie Smollett will host the eighth season of the public television show AfroPoP: The Ultimate Exchange.
The star of the hit FOX TV show Empire will emcee the popular show about contemporary art, life and culture across the African Diaspora as it premieres on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on World Channel.
New episodes will premiere weekly through February 15.
The breakout star of Empire, Lee Daniels and Danny Strong’s record-breaking series, Smollett plays Jamal Lyons, drawing raves for his musical performances. The talented actor-singer-songwriter has appeared in The Mighty Ducks, Rob Reiner’s North, Alex Haley’s Queen, and in Revenge and The Mindy Project. Smollett will also be seen in the new WGN thriller Underground in 2016. The acclaimed entertainer is also involved in numerous humanitarian pursuits, sitting on the boards of the Black AIDS Institute, Artists for a New South Africa and the RuJohn Foundation.
Previous hosts of AfroPoP include Idris Elba, Anika Noni Rose, Wyatt Cenac, Gabourey Sidibe, Anthony Mackie and Yaya DaCosta.
“AfroPoP’s engaging, real-life tales add to the collection of rich Black stories that audiences are clamoring for and I wanted to be a part of bringing them to national attention,” said Smollett.
AfroPoP is produced by National Black Programming Consortium and co-presented by American Public Television (APT), which distributes the series to the full public television system in February 2016.
