Well, Gabourey Sidibe is not content to rest on her laurels since her phenomenal success in the movies, “Precious” and “Tower Heist“.  She is now the new host of a television series “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange”, an innovative documentary series highlighting contemporary life, art and pop culture in the African Diaspora.

Gabourey Sidibe

This five-documentary series on contemporary African Diaspora premiered on January 22, 2013. It shows at 7:00pm ET (6:00pm CT, 4:00pm PT) on public television’s WORLD channel and will continue on Tuesdays weekly until February 5, 2013.

This season, AfroPoP, which consists of independent films, brings viewers on a journey into human and women’s rights struggles across the world. Co-presented by the Center for Asian American Media, Eliaichi Kimaro’s “A Lot Like You” (January 22), follows the half-Korean, half-Tanzanian sexual-abuse survivor and filmmaker as she explores her African roots, and learns about the sexual violence faced by her aunts and other women in the Chagga culture. ‘“Dear Mandela” (January 29), by Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza, captures the demonstrations of residents of the Durban shantytowns as they fight for the decent living conditions promised by the post-apartheid government and challenge the African National Congress (ANC). Directors Violeta Ayala and Daniel Fallshaw uncover modern-day slavery in refugee camps in Western Sahara in “Stolen“ (February 5), entangling themselves in a high-stakes thriller.

In her role as host, Sidibe frames each episode’s content, adding her personal concerns about the issues portrayed. “This season of AfroPoP helps give voice to those who truly need to be heard,” said the Brooklyn native, whose father hails from Senegal. “I’m happy to help bring these stories to the American public and raise awareness of issues of vital concern to women and men in Africa as well as all who care about human rights.”

“Gabourey’s energetic spirit and connection to the youth culture made her the perfect choice to host the series this season and we are happy to have her as such an integral part of AfroPoP,” said Black Public Media Vice President and Director of Programming Leslie Fields-Cruz and co-executive producer of the series.

For more information, check your local listings or visit BlackMedia’s website.  You can also find local airings by visiting the AfroPoP page. To find your local WORLD station, visit the WORLD website.