New Podcast ‘The A Building’ Tells Heist-Like Story Of Forgotten Civil Rights Protest.

A new series recounts how a group of Morehouse College students in 1969, including a young Samuel L. Jackson, organized a protest that took multiple hostages, including Martin Luther King Sr. Decades later, Imagine Entertainment — the production company led by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard — will use audio to revisit rarely told moments in the American Civil Rights Movement.

The series titled “The A Building” tells the story of the 1969 student uprising at Morehouse College, where a group of students barricaded themselves inside the administration building — known on HBCU campuses as “The A Building.”

Nathan Kloke, Executive Producer for Imagine Entertainment, says the story unfolds like a heist film but it has a more important story to tell. “What makes the story of ‘The A Building’ so compelling is how clearly it reveals the purpose and power of protest,” he said.

Set against the backdrop of late-1960s America, the podcast explores a volatile period when student activism surged nationwide. At Morehouse, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. intensified tensions between the administration and a student body demanding an education that reflected Black history, identity and lived experience — and ultimately led students to hold members of the Board of Trustees hostage for two days demanding reforms to curriculum and improvements to student life.

One of the hostages was Martin Luther King Sr., then-President of the Board of Trustees. One of the student organizers was Samuel L. Jackson, years before he would become one of the most famous actors in Hollywood. Co-created and produced by Menelek Lumumba and Hans Charles, the podcast examines the risks students took, the consequences they faced, and the lasting impact of their actions on HBCUs and student activism nationwide.

“This project has been years in the making, but it feels more relevant than ever,” said Lumumba. “I’m grateful we have the opportunity to tell this story about young people who took action, and how their one act of protest continues to reverberate through all those involved over 50 years later.”

The podcast traces the aftermath of the protest, including the expulsion of the students involved, the escalation of political pressure, and the pivotal moment that ultimately led Jackson back to Morehouse — where a change in academic focus set him on the path toward acting.

“It’s an incredible, unbelievable story when you first hear it,” said Charles. “That it happened on a campus like Morehouse College, in a city like Atlanta, at such a volatile time, speaks to the importance of telling and exploring what is quintessential American history.”

“The A Building” is latest in a growing slate of documentary podcasts from Imagine Entertainment, which has aligned with iHeartPodcasts to release shows including “Hello Isaac,” “Unf**cking the Future,” “Big Sugar,” “The Tao of Muhammad Ali,” “Obscurum, and “The Secret World of Roald Dahl.”

“This is premium documentary storytelling that connects history to the present,” said Will Pearson, President of iHeartPodcasts. “‘The A Building’ revisits a moment that feels both historic and urgently relevant, revealing how student voices helped shape lasting institutional change.”