A Spotlight on KdentsTV's P.O.C.

By Liv Wilson

In September of 2020, KdentsTV launched P.O.C. (People of Creativity), a web series led by an incredible trio of young artists and activists working to give voice to minority creatives and inspire youth to advocate for change. The series aims to engage and educate the local community by providing a safe space for artists of color to share their work and voice their feelings on current events. On the genesis of P.O.C., creator Tia Marie shares, “It’s hard for many POC artists to find a platform, so we wanted to create something that let them know they’re appreciated. Something that said ‘We recognize you and your awesomeness! We’re your number one fans!’”

The first season featured interviews with local artists of color, including playwright Brittany Fisher, as well as an episode discussing race in the Netflix original show, Bridgerton. Angelina Anderson, one of the hosts from season one, notes, “I think we’ve all had that moment of seeing someone who looks like you do something you want to do and act as a role model. That was the goal of POC and we all worked to make sure it came true.”

The second season (starting at episode eleven) will feature two new hosts, Jordyn McClenney and Torrae Bennett, along with Tia Marie who will be returning for another season. Tia Marie is currently a senior at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School where she studies theatre. In addition to hosting P.O.C., Tia also has her own YouTube Channel, Power N Blaso, which introduced her to recorded media and web series. The trio looks forward to exploring filming outside of the Zoom space, now that COVID restrictions have become more flexible. Tia reflects, “It’s crazy because I never saw us venturing outside of Zoom. To see an artist in person opens up a whole other level of connection.”

Jordyn McClenney also looks forward to experiencing more episodes in person and showcasing the group’s new ideas for the series. Jordyn studies theatre at Appomattox Regional Governor's School for the Arts and Technology. She describes P.O.C. as, “a comfortable environment [to] talk about real life issues and experiences.” Especially during COVID, she found working on the web series was a wonderful way to venture out of her comfort zone and discuss matters that adversely affect her, the POC community, and the world around us.

Torrae Bennett, a junior at Appomattox Regional Governor's School, is eager to expand her knowledge and strengthen her communication skills through involvement with P.O.C. As a tech major, Torrae is passionate about advocating for Black women and girls both in coding and in S.T.E.M.

Heading into the new season, the trio strives to inspire viewers to start any artistic project they’ve been too afraid to touch. Tia remarks, “Representation in media is a huge deal on P.O.C. Sometimes when artists of color don’t see people that look like them pursuing similar avenues to them, they start to think ‘Oh, maybe this isn’t the path for me. Maybe this field wasn’t made for people like me.’ We really want to debunk such inclinations. My greatest wish is that our interviews boost the viewers’ confidence!” Jordyn adds, “We want people to know that as a POC… you can show people who you are and aspire to be.”

Season two of KdentsTV’s P.O.C. is available now on Youtube.

Some Favorite Films/TV Shows From Our Creators:

Avatar the Last Airbender
The Call (A Korean horror film)
Pretty Little Liars
The Vampire Diaries

Watch P.O.C. on YouTube