When the idea of making a biopic about Mahalia Jackson first came up, about half the members of Lifetime's Original Movies group hadn't heard of the gospel legend and civil rights leader — which, for that team, was a selling point. "We had been talking about women who have historically made impacts that no one talks about," says head of movies Tanya Lopez of the group's brainstorming sessions.
It was programming manager Mekita Faiye who suggested Jackson, and though those to whom she pitched the idea were unfamiliar with the legend, they didn't dismiss the proposal. "Everyone loses when we don't take the time to understand others' unique experiences, especially when it's due to economic, ethnic or even religious differences," says Faiye,.
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