Delta Sigma Theta’s Mara Brock Akil is The Creator of Netflix’s Black Love Coming-of-Age Series Forever

Mara Brock Akil, a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is the creative force behind Forever, a new Netflix series reimagining Judy Blume’s classic young adult novel through a modern Black lens.

Set to premiere May 8, the series centers on two Black teens navigating the intensity, joy, and vulnerability of first love in 2018 Los Angeles.

Brock Akil, who was initiated into the Theta Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta at Northwestern University, brings decades of experience as a trailblazing television writer and producer to the project. A megaproducer, she is responsible for the creation of shows including Girlfriends, The Game, and Being Mary Jane, and Black Lightning. In 2020, she signed a multi-year overall deal with Netflix to create original content. Forever is Brock Akil’s first project under her overall deal with Netflix.

Adapted from Judy Blume’s 1975 best-selling novel, Forever tells the story of Keisha (played by Lovie Simone) and Justin (Michael Cooper Jr.), two high school athletes who fall in love and become each other’s “capital-F Firsts.” Through Brock Akil’s vision, the coming-of-age story explores the emotional weight and milestones of young love, including first kisses, first heartbreaks, and the decisions that shape one’s identity. Executive producer Regina King directs the pilot episode.

The cast includes Karen Pittman (The Morning Show) and Wood Harris (Paid in Full) as Justin’s parents, Xosha Roquemore (Insecure) as Keisha’s mother, and Barry Shabaka Henley (The Terminal) as Keisha’s grandfather. The story is deeply rooted in family, community, and the unique pressures faced by Black youth. 

Brock Akil has shared that Judy Blume’s writing helped shape her own voice as a storyteller. “She was one of the first writers I read that dared to be honest about the human condition in young people,” she told Netflix. Blume, in turn, expressed her excitement about seeing her work reinterpreted through Brock Akil’s perspective, calling it “gratifying” that the story still resonates five decades later.

Photo Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix

A legacy member of Delta Sigma Theta—her grandmother, aunt, and cousin are all members—Brock Akil continues to honor that legacy by creating space for authentic Black narratives. She has received numerous NAACP Image Awards for her contributions to television and remains one of the most influential Black women behind the scenes in Hollywood.

Forever premieres May 8 on Netflix.