Hans Charles & Menelek Lumumba: hosts & co-creators of podcast The A Building

ABOUT THE A BUILDING iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment Launch "The A Building" - A Riveting New Documentary Podcast About the Student Uprising That Reshaped Historically Black Colleges and Universities New Series Recounts How a Group of Morehouse College Students in 1969, Including a Young Samuel L. Jackson, Organized a Protest That Took Multiple Hostages, Among Them Martin Luther King Sr. iHeartPodcasts, the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, and Brian Grazer and Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment today announced the launch of "The A Building," a powerful new documentary podcast that revisits one of the most extraordinary and rarely told moments in American civil rights and higher-education history-an event that changed the future of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and helped define the modern era of student protest. This is the seventh title to be released from Imagine Entertainment and iHeartMedia's slate of original iHeartPodcasts. The series tells the story of the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College, where a group of students barricaded themselves inside the administration building-known on Historically Black Colleges and Universities campuses as "The A Building." Set against the backdrop of late-1960s America, "The A Building" explores a volatile period when student activism surged nationwide amid movements for civil rights, women's rights, labor justice, and opposition to the Vietnam War. At Morehouse, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. intensified tensions between the administration and a student body demanding an education that reflected Black history, identity and lived experience-and ultimately led students to hold members of the Board of Trustees hostage for two days demanding reforms to curriculum and improvements to student life. One of the hostages was Martin Luther King Sr., president of the Board of Trustees. One of the student organizers was Samuel L. Jackson-years before he would become one of the most celebrated figures in Hollywood. Samuel L. Jackson and his friends devised a plan to hijack a Board of Trustees meeting to create change. A heist with a purpose. Blending immersive reenactments with firsthand testimony, archival research and expert analysis, the series unfolds with the tension of a true-crime heist-one driven by moral urgency. "The A Building" examines the risks students took, the consequences they faced, and the lasting impact of their actions on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and student activism nationwide. Co-created and produced by Menelek Lumumba and Hans Charles, the podcast traces the aftermath of the protest, including the expulsion of the students involved, the escalation of political pressure, and the pivotal moment that ultimately led Samuel L. Jackson back to Morehouse-where a change in academic focus quietly set him on the path toward acting. "This project has been years in the making, but it feels more relevant than ever," said Menelek Lumumba, co-creator and producer. "I'm grateful we have the opportunity to tell this story about young people who took action, and how their one act of protest continues to reverberate through all those involved over 50 years later." "It's an incredible, unbelievable story when you first hear it," said Hans Charles, co-creator and producer. "That it happened on a campus like Morehouse College, in a city like Atlanta, at such a volatile time, speaks to the importance of telling and exploring what is quintessential American History." "What makes the story of 'The A Building' so compelling is how clearly it reveals the purpose and power of protest," said Nathan Kloke, Executive Producer for Imagine Entertainment. "When Hans and Menelek first brought us this pivotal chapter of American history, it unfolded like a heist film-fast-paced, surprising, and utterly gripping. We're excited to bring audiences along for the ride." "This is premium documentary storytelling that connects history to the present," said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. "'The A Building' revisits a moment that feels both historic and urgently relevant, revealing how student voices helped shape lasting institutional change." "The A Building" is part of a growing slate of documentary podcasts from iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment, including"Hello Isaac," "Unf**cking the Future," "Big Sugar," "The Tao of Muhammad Ali," "Obscurum, and "The Secret World of Roald Dahl," which explore iconic figures, cultural flashpoints, and untold stories through deep reporting and cinematic storytelling. Nathan Kloke and Kara Welker are Executive Producers for Imagine Entertainment in partnership with oddarts media. Katrina Norvell is the Executive Producer for iHeartPodcasts. "The A Building" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and will be available weekly on Fridays on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.

Episodes available here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagine-audio-the-a-building/id1692268936 



HOST BIOS
Hans Charles is an Emmy award-nominated cinematographer and writer/producer, best known for Netflix's 13TH, and Showtime's  WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN. Hans has shot award-winning films that have screened at Tribeca, Sundance, NYFF, and Outfest, among many others. His projects include Netflix's GRASS IS GREENER, CONTACT HIGH, a short film that gives a visual history of hip hop, 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN, a collegiate drama feature Hans both lensed and produced, Lifetime's DEATH SAVED MY LIFE, and Showtime's hit docu series WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT COSBY, which premiered at Sundance 2022 and was nominated for four Emmy Awards. Hans was the cinematographer on The CW's hit series ALL AMERICAN: HOMECOMING and worked on a documentary film with Vespucci Group and Showtime called THE HONEY TRAP, directed by Chris Moukarbel which released in December 2024. He's currently shooting two documentary projects and is developing his next feature film with his creative partner, Menelek Lumumba. Hans is a partner at Align Pictures.

Menelek Lumumba is a writer and director who wrote and directed his debut feature film, 1 ANGRY BLACK MAN. The film premiered at the Blackstar Film Festival and screened at dozens of festivals across the country and abroad, winning Best Feature Film at two festivals. It was released by Freestyle Digital Media in June 2020. With his creative partner Hans, Menelek co-created THE A BUILDING, a podcast about the hostage situation at Morehouse College in 1969, produced with Imagine Entertainment and iHeart. Menelek is currently in development on his next feature film.

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