Following the success of 2023’s Black Girl Missing movie, Lifetime is releasing another entry in the gripping series.
Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie will premiere on the network on Saturday. Naturi Naughton-Lewis stars as Ellen, a college counselor who seems to be the only person who notices or cares that one of her students, Shannon (Tanyell Quian), stops attending class.
“Ellen is someone who is fighting for this girl’s life, and she’s not her family, her blood relative or her mother,” Naughton-Lewis said in an interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act.
She continued, “This shows that we can all make a difference if we pay attention, get involved, and say something when we know that it doesn’t look right.”
Ellen’s concerns are dismissed by Shannon’s professors, campus administration, students and even her boyfriend. Instead of answers, Ellen is met with careless comments about how “girls like that” from underserved communities often drop out of school.
Ellen, who Naughton-Lewis describes as a “vigilante,” is determined to find Shannon. During her search, she inadvertently uncovers a trafficking ring targeting students in need like Shannon. With time running out, Ellen must fight tirelessly to gain the support she needs to rescue Shannon and bring down the trafficking ring.
The fact that the film is set on an HBCU campus adds to the severity of its plot.
“It was interesting to put it in an environment where mostly everyone is Black; all these students are part of this university, and yet we see somehow that she (Shannon) is undervalued,” the actor said.
She added, “I think we have to do more advocating, particularly in our own environments at HBCUs or in any community of color. We have to get involved and speak up for each other because the rest of the world may not do it for us.”
Naughton-Lewis hopes the movie leaves viewers feeling empowered and ignited to do something about the issue of the disappearances of Black men and women not being treated with urgency.
“I hope that people wake up their sensibility of community, and I hope people get more involved,” she stated.
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Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie is executive produced by Garcelle Beauvais, who starred in the 2023 prequel. The Power actor expressed her affinity for working with Beauvais.
“I really enjoyed her passion for this project,” she said.
As diverse as her roles have been, Naughton-Lewis is intentional about her impact in acting, producing and directing.
Her production company, Take Two Entertainment, was credited as the executive production team on the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival stand-out Color Book.
“I like to study people and see all the versions of Black women because there are so many layers to who we are. I love throwing myself into characters that stretch me and who show that I could be a gangster one minute, or I could be a sweet, nurturing mother the next minute, then a loving, supportive friend and then be a hip-hop rapper, icon, Lil’ Kim.” Naughton-Lewis said of her multifaceted roles, “I just try to select things that are important to the culture.”
Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie premieres on Lifetime on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.
