MR. SOUL wins Peabody Award

CONGRATULATIONS to Melissa Haizlip who received a Peabody Award for her documentary MR. SOUL. Michon Boston Group had the pleasure to work with Melissa on the engagement discussion guide for the broadcast premiere of MR. SOUL on the PBS Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens. You can find the guide here.

The 82nd Peabody Award winners were announced virtually by a celebrity presenter. Morgan Freeman presented the Peabody to Melissa Haizlip for MR. SOUL with these words.

“During its five-year run, it was a celebration of the majesty, the confidence and the revolutionary force of Black artists and intellectuals, writers and performers,” Freeman said, in a virtual presentation. “It was uncompromisingly and unapologetically Black. And this gem of a show gets the spotlight it deserves in Melissa Haizlip’s documentary, Mr. Soul! Her film offers an enviable range of Black creative expression and stresses how the original show served as a soundtrack of Black Americans at their most radical.”

Melissa Haizlip dedicated the award to her uncle, Ellis Haizlip, the creator, producer and host of the SOUL variety show that aired on public media from 1968-1973.  Ellis Haizlip was born and raised in Washington, DC and an alumni of Howard University. MR. SOUL is currently streaming on HBO Max. Visit the film’s website for additional screenings.

Complete list of Peabody Award winners available here.