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ABC News celebrates Black History Month with Halle Berry and more Black female stars; Lisa Raye McCoy reveals she suffered an identity crisis from her breakout role

By Ken Simmons Jan 28, 2022 | 4:47 PM


ABC/Matt Petit

ABC News will broadcast two primetime specials to celebrate Black History Month in February.

As part of the Soul of a Nation series, Halle Berry, Tessa Thompson, Debbie Allen, and more will be featured in Screen Queens Rising airing Thursday, February 3 at 8 p.m. The special will explore how Black actresses are making progress in Hollywood.

One hour later, X/onerated – The Murder of Malcolm X and 55 Years to Justice, will present the first interview with Muhammad Abdul Aziz, who was wrongfully convicted of Malcolm X’s assassination in 1965

Also for Black History Month, Good Morning America will feature a series about Black financial literacy. World News Tonight with David Muir will pay tribute to Black veterans, healthcare workers, teachers, and politicians within its “America Strong” segments. Nightline will take an intimate look at the first police academy at a historically Black college and university, and This Week with George Stephanopoulos will examine the impact of changes to voting rights legislation across the country.

In other news, LisaRaye McCoy reveals she suffered an “identity crisis” following her breakout role as a stripper in the 1998 film, The Players Club, starring Ice Cube, who was also the writer and director. “I felt like I had to have the long hair and look like my character, Diamond, in order to be recognized,” she told Page Six

“Players Club put me on the map… it made me a bonafide sex symbol, and when you are a sex symbol people think that you’re sexy all the time, and that stigma follows you,” she added. LisaRaye currently stars in A House Divided on ALLBLK.

Finally, Variety reports that Showtime has canceled Black Monday after three seasons. Don Cheadle and Regina Hall starred in the series about Wall Street traders in the 1980s.

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