NAACP-CBS Studios Venture Sells Dramas ‘For Justice’ & ‘The Pact’ To CBS

Nellie Andreeva
·2 min read

EXCLUSIVE: The NAACP production venture with CBS Studios has set up two more drama projects at CBS in its second broadcast development cycle, For Justice, from writers Sallie Patrick and Garen Thomas, which is based on the life of former NYPD Detective Katrina Brownlee; and The Pact, from writer Marcus Dalzine. They join Carver Law, from writer Aaron Carew and executive producer Martin Lawrence, which also was recently sold to CBS for development. The trio of projects span the three classic network drama genres, a cop (For Justice), medical (The Pact) and legal (Carver Law) show.

The venture’s President, Sheila Ducksworth, executive produces all projects alongside NAACP’s Leon Russell and Derrick Johnson. CBS Studios is the studio.

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In For Justice aka Untitled Katrina Brownlee, written and executive produced by Patrick and Thomas and produced by Brownlee, after overcoming a painful past, a tenacious, freethinking NYC homicide detective repurposes her survival skills to solve the cities highest profile murder cases.

After being shot 10 times and left for dead by her corrections officer boyfriend, Brownlee pursued a career in law enforcement and rose through the ranks during her 20 years with NYPD to first-grade Detective and part of the personal security detail of then-New York City Mayor DeBlasio.

The Pact is based on the book “The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream” by Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, and Lisa Frazier Page.

In the project, written and executive produced by Dalzine and executive produced by Davis, Jenkins and Hunt, after a childhood pact leads three friends from inner- city Newark to become doctors, they reunite in their hometown to open a medical center to serve their community.

The NCAAP-CBS Studios venture, which recently marked its second anniversary, has a total of 6 projects currently in the works across broadcast and streaming as it continues to focus on diverse voices and the telling of inclusive stories to increase the visibility of Black artists.

“We’ve secured fantastic IP and aligned them with incredibly talented writers and auspices,” Ducksworth said. “I’m grateful to both CBS Studios and the NAACP for their continued support, as well as to CBS for sharing in our vision of creating stories that are both captivating and impactful.”

The NAACP-CBS Studios venture’s non-CBS series projects in the works (all previously announced), include a multi-camera comedy at Fox co-created, executive produced and headlined by DL Hughley; drama Construction at Paramount+ from writer Davita Scarlett inspired by the life of Cheryl McKissack, fifth generation owner of the oldest minority and female construction company in America; and limited series Little Rock Nice at Apple TV+, from writer Gwen Parker and Kapital, which takes a deep dive into the 1957-1958 school year of Little Rock 9.

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