CBS Studios/NAACP & The Black List Name Chandus Jackson As Recipient Of Writers Program Fellowship

EXCLUSIVE: Chandus Jackson has been selected as the inaugural recipient of the Writers Program fellowship from CBS Studios/NAACP Production Venture and The Black List.

As part of the fellowship, Jackson will receive a WGA script deal from the CBS/NAACP Production Venture to develop a new pilot script for the Sheila Ducksworth-led partnership.

“This is an amazing opportunity as a writer to tell stories that speak to the Black experience,” said Jackson. “And I am excited to work with Sheila and her team at the CBS/NAACP Production Venture, who are committed to acquiring, developing, and producing inclusive programming.”

A former Army officer-turned-writer, Jackson was recently staffed on season 6 of the CBS series Bull for showrunners Kathryn Price and Nichole Millard. He is an alumnus from the inaugural class of the Universal Writers Program.

“Partnering with The Black List has been wonderful,” said Ducksworth, president of the CBS/NAACP Production Venture. “One of the most rewarding parts of my job is to be able to discover new voices and provide an opportunity for them to be heard. Chandus is incredibly talented and I’m excited to be part of his journey and see what lies ahead for him.”

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with CBS Studios/NAACP Production Venture to facilitate this opportunity, and it’s an absolute joy–speaking as a Black kid who grew up on US Army bases–that Chandus was their selection,” said Franklin Leonard, Black List founder. “I very much look forward to watching what he writes as a result.”

The Black List and CBS Studios/NAACP Production Venture Writers Program launched in August 2022 to identify episodic writing talents whose work exemplifies authentic storytelling of Black narratives.