We’ve all seen the morning shows that wake us up with local, national, and celebrity news, but how much do we really know about the people behind the camera? To find out, we recently hosted an HBCU Roundtable with a prominent character behind the hit Apple Original series “The Morning Show.” In this high-octane show, you see the dynamics between women at the office who must balance the burdens of work and home. We spoke to Karen Pittman, whose character Mia Jordan is a go-getter executive producer on the show in season 2.
The conversation was hosted by Dre Martin, an entrepreneur and two-time HBCU graduate of Grambling State University and Howard University. Martin is also a 2020 honoree of HBCU Buzz’s Top 30 Under 30 awards. Joining Martin and Pittman in the conversation were several HBCU student leaders hailing from HBCUs like Shaw University, Prairie View A&M University, and Bowie State University. Even Miss and Mister Howard University were among the represented.
Pittman’s first question came from Jaylin Drewry of Norfolk State University. He asked, “Why do you think the HBCU community will enjoy The Morning Show?” It’s a
The Morning Show has something for everyone, and especially HBCU students and alumni. When asked by Jaylin Drewry of Norfolk State University why she thought our community would enjoy the show, Pittman had a long list. “THe Morning Show is extraordinarily enlightening about the human condition. You know, what people go through, what people deal with in corporate environments,” she said. It’s also been relatable because of the pandemic. “Season 2 was informative to remind us what we were going through as human beings right before COVID-19 came and changed our entire life, and our living, and our lifestyle. One of the things that I think is really powerful about the show is that we hope to tell a story that’s original, that’s bold, that’s daring.” Through drama, twists, and comedy, she hopes that people will be able to relate to the show.
She also talked about how her personal perseverance led to her character’s success. “When I came to the show the producers [and] writers didn’t know me as well as some of the other actors on the show. As a theater actor I had worked for years, but I had not yet worked a lot in Hollywood. So I think they were kind of surprised at how the character sort of blossomed, and the depth of her emotional landscape, “ she said. In fact, her character was originally meant to be a man. However, once Pittman was cast, she completely changed how the writers envisioned her character. “There is a MIa Jordan that lives in me somewhere which is why I think the character is so powerful in me,” said Pittman.
When Tuskegee University student Crystal Bolden asked about a piece of advice that changed Pittman’s life, she received an answer that all college students need to hear. “The best piece of advice my father gave me was ‘Experience isn’t the best teacher. Get your education.’ That has been transformative in my life,” she said. “It’s helped me to take my education seriously. To use it as a tool to help inform me about who I am and what I’m capable of doing. Sometimes you’ll go through coursework and you’ll think, ‘What does this have anything to do with my life, or what I’m doing or where I’m going, do I really need this?’ And the truth of the matter is any area where you can challenge yourself, there is a lesson in that for you to grow from. For you to expand from and it doesn’t matter if it’s in the classroom or dorm room or cafeteria with your friends, with your ex. There is always a lesson in the experience of educating yourself.”
Learn more by watching the whole roundtable on the HBCU Buzz YouTube page here! Plus, make sure you wake up for the “The Morning Show,” now streaming on Apple TV+.
