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Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, have launched an inclusion-focused publishing company called JVL Media. Adding yet another title to her long list of accomplishments, the actress and her husband wanted to create a space where those underrepresented in the book world would have a place to thrive.
The couple launched a similar production company, JuVee Productions – best known for producing The Woman King movie – in 2011 as a platform dedicated to those in the film industry who were underrepresented. With the production company creating a blueprint for the publishing company, the couple is confident that JVL Media will have the same progression.
Davis and Tennon launched JVL Media in partnership with Houston based author and editor Lavaille Lavette, who assisted with Davis’s New York Times Best Selling Memoir, Finding Me. Together, their goal is showing appreciation for both non-fiction and fiction work. The two parties hope to highlight authors from diverse walks of life.
“Our mission is to interlace a rich mosaic of both fiction and non-fiction that not only stirs the imagination but also venerates the enduring heritage of storytellers from diverse walks of life,” Davis said.
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The company plans to launch two titles for their initial lineup of novels including Had to Lose to Win: The Tiki Davis Story by Tiki Davis and The Inclusion Leader Genius by Dr. Johné Battle. Had to Lose to Win: The Tiki Davis Story is a story of a journey of unyielding determination and the quest for self-reconstruction, whereas The Inclusion Leader Genius tells the story of a C-suite visionary executive who redefines leadership paradigms, prioritizing proactive engagement and authentic experiences over abstract theories.
With stories that matter and voices that deserve to be heard, JVL Media is driving the world of literature into an entirely new light where authenticity and inclusion are at the forefront during a time where data shows that Black individuals make up only 5% of the U.S. publishing workforce. Through redefining leadership paradigms and prioritizing proactive engagement and authentic experiences over abstract theories, Davis and Tennon, alongside Lavette, have committed to changing the trajectory of the publishing world.
“We’re nurturing a literary culture that echoes the soul of our society and propels us into the future with stories that matter,” Tennon said.
Viola Davis and Husband Julius Tennon Launch Publishing Company, JVL Media was originally published on elev8.com
