BET Media Group Debuts “20 Summers: Rebuilding the Rhythm of New Orleans” — A Digital Special Reflecting on 20 Years Since Hurricane Katrina

NEW YORK, NY (August 7, 2025) — BET Media Group is proud to announce the release of “20 Summers: Rebuilding the Rhythm of New Orleans,” a stirring 12-minute digital special commemorating the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by Yesha Callahan, Head of Content for BET Media Group. This visual tribute is a powerful meditation on culture, catastrophe, and creative endurance.

Through archival footage, emotionally resonant interviews, and on-the-ground storytelling, 20 Summers amplifies the voices of artists who lived through the storm, stayed rooted in its aftermath, and used their art to reimagine the future of New Orleans. 

With intention and reverence, 20 Summers was built in collaboration with local creatives who know the city’s pain and promise firsthand—joining Callahan as producers were Blair and Brandon Dottin-Haley, the duo behind The Blairisms. Blair is a proud New Orleanian, and Brandon brings a cultural perspective from his Baltimore roots.

The piece was filmed by Khalif Breaux, a New Orleans native whose eye for visual storytelling brings authenticity to every frame, and edited by Richardson Roberts, a video producer at BET Media Group. The motion graphics and visual treatments were handled by BET’s in-house design team, led by Corey Manning.

Featured Artists:

• Tarriona “Tank” Ball – Grammy-winning and Emmy-nominated frontwoman of Tank and the Bangas, reflecting on growing up amid chaos and transforming grief into genre-defying art.
• PJ Morton – Multi-Grammy-winning musician and producer, sharing his journey back to New Orleans and the spiritual role music played in the city’s recovery.
• Sunni Patterson – Esteemed poet, cultural worker, and priestess whose words have become lyrical scripture for the city’s soul.
• Hassan “Ha Sizzle” Matthews – King of Bounce, speaking on how post-Katrina nightlife became a space for celebration, release, and survival.
• Jared “Pell” Pellerin – Acclaimed rapper whose music chronicles displacement, identity, and New Orleans’ rhythm of resilience.

"20 Summers isn’t just a retrospective — it’s a cultural reckoning," said Yesha Callahan, Executive Producer for BET Digital.  “We wanted to honor the people whose music resonated and was cultivated in the city. And it was vital to have New Orleans creatives leading the charge on telling this story.”

Launching across BET.com, BET YouTube, and BET’s official social platforms on August 7, 2025, the special will be supported by a 4-part editorial series spotlighting each artist’s story in their own words.

About BET Media Group

The BET MediaGroup, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA), is the world’s largest media company dedicated to entertaining, engaging, and empowering the Black community and championing Black culture. Connecting Black audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BETJams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is a thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events, and international. For more information about BET, visit www.bet.com and follow @BET on social platforms. For more BET news announcements, visit betpressroom.com.