Festival Sponsors ALLBLK and WE tv will be joined by Shark Beauty and SheaMoisture at Landmark Three-Day Event, Participating AMCN On-Screen Talent Includes MC Lyte and Reginae Carter
NEW YORK, NY – July 24, 2023 – AMC Networks, a presenting sponsor of the upcoming Harlem Festival of Culture through its ALLBLK and WE tv brands, today detailed its extensive presence in and around the three-day festival. The festival, which includes headliners like Ferg, Teyana Taylor, and Wyclef Jean, will run July 28 through July 30 on Randall’s Island. ALLBLK and WE tv will be sponsoring the Cotton Club inspired VIP area, which pays homage to the legendary Harlem nightclub of the same name, and will be supporting major partnerships with Shark Beauty and SheaMoisture.
MC Lyte, star and executive producer of the ALLBLK original series Partners in Rhyme, is the festival’s host for the weekend. Fat Joe, who appeared on WE tv’s Growing Up Hip Hop: New York, is one of the weekend’s performers. And Reginae Carter, star of the upcoming WE tv series Toya & Reginae, will be creating custom social content for Shark Beauty leading up to the festival.
Shark Beauty™ has partnered with AMC Networks and Harlem Festival of Culture as the official hair drying and styling tool. During festival weekend, guests will have the opportunity to book complimentary dry styling appointments at the Shark Beauty™ Hair Village choosing from a curated menu of festival styles. The team will use the Shark FlexStyle® and its multiple attachments to create looks that embrace Shark Beauty’s platform focused on championing and celebrating hair diversity, For All Hairkind™. Custom social content featuring Reginae Carter will kick off Shark Beauty’s festival presence across WE tv’s social handles, spotlighting three unique looks that guests can get on-ground. Live coverage of Shark Beauty’s Hair Village activation will also be posted on the WE tv Instagram handle during the festival weekend.
“We’re thrilled to be a part of this amazing celebration and cultural experience,” said Brendan Bosch, Global Head of Marketing at Shark Beauty™. “The Shark FlexStyle® was designed to help consumers embrace their hair, no matter their hair type, and we’re excited to bring the multi-styling tool to festival weekend to help attendees look and feel their best.
SheaMoisture will also be activating on-ground as the official haircare partner of the Harlem Festival of Culture. Their brand will have an extensive footprint within the Mart 125 marketplace, a reimagining of a Harlem staple being curated in support of small Harlem-based businesses, showcasing Black-owned hospitality, retail, and cultural entrepreneurs. Within the space, SheaMoisture will feature their own products for sale, as well as many of the Shea List businesses that they support. A recap of their activation will be posted on WE tv social handles in the days following the festival.
As a partner of AMC Networks, Boost Mobile will be supporting the Harlem Festival of Culture through their extensive presence in the Harlem community. Boost Mobile will host events in and around their 12 Harlem retailers with music, giveaways, Harlem Festival of Culture discount ticket access, and opportunities to win VIP admission tickets. Visit stores to learn more about adding AMC+ with Boost Mobile.
“We could not be more pleased or proud to be a presenting sponsor of this landmark cultural event, the present-day reimagining of the historic Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969,” said Kim Kelleher, chief commercial officer of AMC Networks. “This important partnership has paved the way for our talent and creators to play meaningful roles in the program itself, and also for a number of key partners to become involved in the event that promises to be a one-of-its-kind celebration of Black music and culture.”
“The Harlem Festival of Culture is our love letter to Harlem and is truly an opportunity to recenter Harlem as the mecca of Black culture. This is the ultimate celebration of Black culture, and we are so thrilled that we have partners in AMC Networks, Shark Beauty and SheaMoisture that understand that and see the vision of what we are doing with this Festival,” said HFC Co-Founder and Technical & Talent Producer Yvonne McNair. “We look forward to working with them to build on that vision and create a festival experience that will become THE cultural event and a destination point for Festivalgoers every year.”
Tickets are available for purchase at Harlemfestivalofculture.com/tickets. Follow @ALLBLK and @WEtv handles on Instagram for festival coverage all weekend long.
About SharkNinja
SharkNinja is a global product design and technology company that creates 5-star rated lifestyle solutions through innovative products for consumers around the world. SharkNinja has built two billion-dollar brands, Shark® and Ninja®, each of which has a proven track record of establishing leadership positions by disrupting numerous small household appliance product categories including Cleaning, Cooking, Food Preparation, Home Environment and Beauty. Products are sold at key retailers, online and offline, and through distributors around the world. Ninja® and Shark® are registered trademarks of SharkNinja Operating LLC. SharkNinja is a subsidiary of JS Global Lifestyle Company Limited (Hong Kong: 1691) a leader in small household appliance innovation.
About SheaMoisture
SheaMoisture is a global beauty and personal care leader committed to serving the Black community through strategic investment and community give back. SheaMoisture recognizes the power of entrepreneurship in addressing racial inequality with the belief that commerce can bring true economic independence. Every year SheaMoisture reinvests at least 1% of net sales directly into economic opportunities for underserved entrepreneurs and Black business owners. With every purchase, you’re helping to fund investments that support funding for Black-owned business, entrepreneurial education, crisis response, equitable purchasing, and ethical sourcing. SheaMoisture develops no compromise beauty products that help every member of the Black community live their healthiest, most beautiful lives. Shea butter is one of the brand’s core ingredients, praised for its hydrating and nourishing properties, and sourced from women-led cooperatives in West Africa, providing fair wages and creating economic opportunities. The company offers products in the hair care, bath, body, skin care, baby and men’s categories, and is distributed in retailers throughout the world. SheaMoisture is a subsidiary of Unilever. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
About Harlem Festival of Culture
Founded by Nikoa Evans, Musa Jackson and Yvonne McNair, Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC) is a cultural festival series dedicated to presenting world class live programming that celebrates and preserves the cultural contributions of the Black Diaspora in music, media, art, fashion and entertainment. HFC seeks to reclaim Harlem’s legacy as a premier destination for Live Cultural and Music entertainment; while creating an ecosystem to foster health and economic prosperity for Harlem’s diverse communities, artists and entrepreneurs.
About AMC Networks Inc.
AMC Networks (Nasdaq: AMCX) is a global entertainment company known for its popular and critically-acclaimed content. Its brands include targeted streaming services AMC+, Acorn TV, Shudder, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, and the newest addition to its targeted streaming portfolio, the anime-focused HIDIVE streaming service, in addition to AMC, BBC AMERICA (operated through a joint venture with BBC Studios), IFC, SundanceTV, WE tv and IFC Films. AMC Studios, the Company’s in-house studio, production and distribution operation, is behind some of the biggest titles and brands known to a global audience, including The Walking Dead, the Anne Rice catalog and the Agatha Christie library. The Company also operates AMC Networks International, its international programming business, and 25/7 Media, its production services business.