Queen Latifah is putting her beloved hometown in the spotlight with her latest project.
The 56-year-old “The Voice” mentor is set to star in the upcoming documentary, “You Can Go Home Again,” which premieres Friday, November 27, on BET.
The film follows Latifah as she develops a housing complex in Newark, New Jersey, for residents.
“It was also important to me to make sure that I’m always an example of someone who comes home and never forgets where she came from,” Latifah told USA TODAY.
Queen Latifah Broke Ground on $14M Project
In 2022, Latifah joined Newark Mayor Ras Baraka at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 76-unit housing development, “RISE Living.”
“Newark is ours, it’s yours and I don’t want people to think they can’t live in their own communities,” Baraka said.
“I drove past this block I saw what was needed,” Latifah said at the time. “I saw houses they weren’t lived in … some were dilapidated. I thought why not here.”
“RISE Living” is said to pay tribute to Latifah’s roots and her late mother, Rita Owens, who passed away in 2018 following years of health struggles related to a heart condition.
“People are trying to maintain their families, educate themselves, move up in their jobs … and they need a place to move to that’s not so expensive,” Latifah said. “They need a break. It’s kind of hard. You can’t do it all.”
Queen Latifah Points Out the Importance of Affordable Housing
Latifah understands how important access to affordable housing has become for so many people today.
“My mother really worked hard. My dad was a police officer,” the rapper said. “We’re talking about regular state of New Jersey workers who really care about their communities and wanted to do something different, but don’t have a lot of money.”
She continued, “So you need housing to be affordable, so you’re not spending over half your income on housing. That you can actually do other things with that money, invest in your children (and) their programs.”
Latifah also reflected on how financial struggles affected her childhood, recalling that she had to stop taking guitar lessons because her family couldn’t afford them. “It was always like that, having to choose,” she said.
“All of our children deserve the best opportunities, the best education, because they would become the best people. They will change the world. So, we need to make sure their parents have the opportunity to help them do that,” Latifah said.
Queen Latifah Shines a Spotlight on Her Hometown With New Project