EXCLUSIVE: A rarely-revisited moment in American civil rights and higher education history will be the focus of the latest doc series from iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Entertainment.
The A Building is launching today as the seventh podcast collaboration between the two companies, and will tell the story of the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College in Atlanta, during which board of trustee members were taken hostage.
The event is considered to have changed the future for historically Black colleges and universities, and is among the most defining moments in an era of student protests. Among the student organizers was a young Samuel L. Jackson.
Per the synopsis, The A Building “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.”
The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. had intensified tensions between the Morehouse administration and a student body demanding an education reflecting Black history, identity and experience. This ultimately led to students hold members of the board of trustees, including President Martin Luther King, Sr., hostage for two days as they demanding reforms.
The series, co-created and produced by Menelek Lumumba and Hans Charles, will use firsthand testimony, archive and expert analysis. It will examine the risk the students took and the aftermath, including their suspensions and the impact on historically Black colleges and universities. It will also follow a pivotal moment that led Pulp Fiction star Jackson back to Morehouse after a suspension, where a change in academic focus set him on a path to acting. Jackson is now the world’s highest-grossing actor.
“This project has been years in the making, but it feels more relevant than ever,” said Lumumba. “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,” added Charles. “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.”
Nathan Kloke and Kara Welker are executive producers for Imagine Entertainment in partnership with Oddarts media. Katrina Norvell is the executive producer for iHeartPodcasts, which is distributing and will drop episodes weekly.
“What makes the story of The A Building so compelling is how clearly it reveals the purpose and power of protest,” said Imagine’s Nathan Kloke. “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,” added 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.”
For iHeartPodcasts and Imagine, their seventh collab comes after Hello Isaac, Unf**cking the Future, Big Sugar, The Tao of Muhammad Ali, Obscurum, and The Secret World of Roald Dahl.
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