Today we’d like to introduce you to Earl Hardy.
Hi Earl, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As a young man growing up in Detroit, MI I noticed our MLK street didn’t reflect the world-changing leader I learned about in school. The dark reality of the MLK street I saw didn’t equal the light Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for. Once I began to visit other places and research other cities throughout the USA, I realized this wasn’t isolated to just Detroit.
I moved to LA about five years ago and have been working on a movie called King Blvd. There are over 900 streets that honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy. His messages of equal representation, inclusion, peace and prosperity for all are a striking contrast to many of the streets that bear his name. This bizarre occurrence doesn’t reflect the world-changing leader Dr. King was. Our King Blvd Film is a social comedy movie that highlights this issue and talks about how to fix it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, it hasn’t been a smooth road. As I have tried to raise money for this movie, it has been a challenge to raise the funds. As I attempt to raise the funds for such an amazing and impactful leader’s legacy such as Dr. King it has still been tough. Often times investors in the Hollywood system want a film to have A-List stars attached and top notch directors working on the project before they agree to help fund the movie. Even though we have seen such an awakening of racial consciousness the last few years, I still have trouble finding the interest to raise money for this film project. Due to this factor, I have set up personal community fundraising plans and also set up a couple of photoshoots in LA and Detroit to raise awareness and support for the movie. The photos consisted of leaders from the Education community, Non-Profit organizations, Government, Business, the Creative Arts community in LA and Detroit. The pictures were taken along MLK BLVD in both the cities. The pictures were inspired by the iconic “A Great Day in Harlem” photo taken in 1958 by Art Kane that featured influential jazz musicians such as Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins standing in front of a New York City brownstone. Esquire magazine commissioned the photograph.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In addition to the upcoming “King Blvd” movie and “Great Day on MLK” Photo Series, I am also working on an animated series centered on MLK BLVD as well. The series is what I’d describe as “edutainment”, meaning something with educational elements but also very clever, funny and entertaining for urban youth.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Yes. As a LA resident sitting in traffic is sort of a daily or at least weekly ritual. To keep my sanity, I try to read and consume content that uplifts my soul, entertains my heart and informs my mind. I try to read The Bible each day, that keeps me ready to tackle the craziness in this world. I listen to NPR while commuting. I enjoy Podcasts such as: The Town (film news). Anthony Oneal’s Podcast is cool. The black film website Shadow and Act is really good too.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: kingblvdfeaturefilm.com
- Instagram: King Blvd Feature Film
- Facebook: King Blvd Feature Film
Image Credits
The Black and White photos and single image of Earl were taken by: www.redbymorgan.com The group Color photos were taken by: Zarian Instagram: @zarianh
