Actress Keke Palmer takes a dive into becoming a Media Mogul.
2022 is the year of Keke Palmer. For 20 years now, Palmer has graced us with her onscreen presence as an intelligent middle school speller in Akeelah and The Bee, and most recently as a horse wrangler in Jordan Peele’s Nope.
In late September, Palmer released a promotional video via Instagram announcing her own network, KeyTV. This new network will solely focus on, as Palmer says, “spotlighting a new generation of creators.”
Though we’ve seen Palmer for years in television and film, this time feels like an introduction to someone we’ve never met before. In the video introduces herself by her real name, Lauren, and then again as Keke Palmer, “the brand I created 20 years ago, all the way back in Illinois with my mom.”
In the video announcement, Palmer delves deeper into her multifaceted career as an actress, writer, director, and singer. She’s learned from the best, and is now one of the best. Everything that Palmer has absorbed in the span of two decades as one of Hollywood’s fiercest actresses will, indefinitely, be poured into the hearts of those around her.
With the creation of her own network, she’ll be creating a space where creativity and inclusivity may flourish beyond the set limits that are often imposed on Black entertainers. “I want to share everything I learned with you, because this is my greatest dream of all,” Palmer says.
Along with her announcement on Instagram, Palmer, 29, also made an announcement via KeyTV’s YouTube channel. In the video, Palmer is calling for more production designers, sound mixers, etc. to join her team of inspiring, young creators. This opportunity will be creating more jobs in spaces where there are very few Black people present. There are so many Black artists in front of the screen, now it’s time for there to be some behind the camera, too.
“All it takes is one of us to unlock a door to unlock a million doors for each other. I’m so excited to introduce you guys to Key TV, where our stories matter and where we are represented as the keys to the culture,” Palmer explains. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that this power move will benefit the stellar actress and the Black community well.
Highlighting Black voices and artistic expression is one of the numerous ways the Black community has managed to keep afloat. Our dances or even the way we speak has been taken and remarketed to fit a homely All-American look that we don’t prescribe to. Now that KeyTV is a-go, there will be a place for underrepresented people to shine and show off their talents.