Naturi Naughton-Lewis Hopes ‘Black Girl Missing’ Promotes Vigilance About Disappearances

Following the success of 2023’s Black Girl Missing movie, Lifetime is unveiling another compelling addition to the series. Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie is set to premiere on the network this Saturday. Naturi Naughton-Lewis stars as Ellen, a dedicated college counselor who seems to be the only one concerned when one of her students, Shannon (Tanyell Quian), mysteriously stops attending classes.

“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 shared in an interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “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.”

Despite Ellen’s efforts, her worries are brushed aside by Shannon’s professors, campus administration, students, and even her boyfriend. Instead of offering support, Ellen encounters dismissive remarks about how “girls like that” from underserved communities often drop out of school. Determined to find Shannon, Ellen, whom Naughton-Lewis describes as a “vigilante,” inadvertently stumbles upon a trafficking ring targeting students like Shannon. With the clock ticking, Ellen must rally support to rescue Shannon and dismantle the trafficking operation.

The setting of the film on an HBCU campus intensifies its narrative. “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,” Naughton-Lewis said.

She further stressed the importance of advocacy within communities of color, “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 film leaves viewers feeling empowered and motivated to address the issue of Black men and women’s disappearances not being treated with the urgency they deserve. “I hope that people wake up their sensibility of community, and I hope people get more involved,” she stated.

Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie is executive produced by Garcelle Beauvais, who starred in the 2023 prequel. Naughton-Lewis expressed her admiration for working with Beauvais, saying, “I really enjoyed her passion for this project.”

As diverse as her roles have been, Naughton-Lewis is purposeful about her impact in acting, producing, and directing. Her production company, Take Two Entertainment, was an executive producer for the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival stand-out Color Book.

Naughton-Lewis described her approach to selecting roles, “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.” She added, “I just try to select things that are important to the culture.”

Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie premieres on Lifetime this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

Source: Blavity