Tonight’s episode is about the legendary, movie pioneer, Robert Townsend, the actor, comedian, writer, and director behind Meteor Man, The Five Heartbeats, Hollywood Shuffle, Up Up and Away, B.A.P.S., The Mighty Quinn, and Little Richard (2000).

Our guest is Aishat Oduola-Owoo, a Nigerian immigrant and lifelong lover of Black film and television. Growing up in a semi-strict household, family-friendly shows like The Parent ‘Hood—her introduction to the brilliance of Robert Townsend—became formative touchstones. Inspired by stories her father shared about Cooley High and the cultural legacy it held for African men migrating to America, Aishat developed a deep curiosity for Black cinematic history. Through thoughtful conversation and cultural reflection, she explores Black storytelling, legacy, and joy—one frame at a time.

You can follow Aishat on https://www.instagram.com/sheknewnothing and also follow her podcast account (https://www.instagram.com/_skndeep) as well as listen in on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/skndeep/id1329428296

Wherever you’re listening from, hit that subscribe button, give us a 5-star rating, share this episode and leave a comment to let us know what you thought of tonight’s episode. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & Threads.

Visit ourvoicesproject.com and sign up for our newsletter (https://ourvoicesproject.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=0975cb4063cade8f361060fda&id=81139d3995) for more information about what we do. We’ll be back with more episodes every Thursday with old and newly released movies that center Black, Brown, and Indigenous folks, general movie news, and interviews with film festival programmers/curators, film critics, and filmmakers!

Next week continues our series on Black filmmakers –their stories and contributions to cinema. We’re handing flowers to filmmakers that we should be talking about—some you may have heard of and some you may not have heard of. Either way, you won’t know until the show premieres so make sure you subscribe!

Chapters:

00:00 - Intro

03:07 – Legend, Pioneer, Icon.

05:59 – Hollywood Shuffle & The Struggles Of Being a Black Working Actor

36:43 - Meteor Man: The Reluctant Hero, Being An Example, and The Love Of Community

01:04:28 – The Five Heartbeats: A Masterclass in Drama and Displaying Brotherhood

01:33:18 – B.A.P.S.: Sisterhood and the Power Behind Being Truly Seen

01:53:45 – Our Words for Robert Townsend

01:56:28 – Where You Can Follow & Support Aishat

01:58:01 - Outro

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