Actor Angela Lewis talks where she wants 'Aunt Louie' to go in the sixth and final season of FX's 'Snowfall.' Lewis also talks hosting this year's 10-year anniversary of Black Breastfeeding Week.

Between Bells

Angela Lewis on What to Expect From Sixth and Final Season of FX's 'Snowfall'

Welcome back to Between Bells everyone. Season five of FX's drama snowfall ended back in april but fans are ready for more. The series documents the early days of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles and season six will follow the panic filled season five finale joining us. Now to discuss is actor Angela Lewis. Angela, Welcome to the show. We have to talk about your character, Aunt Louis sparking the crazy season five finale. What can we expect from season six? Oh man season six, you know, it's the end. So you know, I think there's gonna be a lot of things falling apart I think is the stakes are super super high, everyone is Really trying to keep it together and I don't know how much that's possible, you know, it sounds crazy. So the showrunner Dave Andrews says the upcoming 6th and final season will be quote heavier than what's come before. So where do you see your character ending up? You know, I have no idea but I'm a little nervous, I'm nervous just like everybody else. Um no one's fate is safe, you know, that's actually a very good tease, What's it been like to play this character all these years, Angela um it's been wonderful, you know, she's had such a beautiful arc um really going after what it is that she wants what it is that she sees for herself and for her life and even in spite of a lot of people not liking it in spite of franklin being mad at her. Um She goes after after what you know, good for her and I can really appreciate that, and that's been really empowering in my own life. Um it's just it's been a lot of fun to say the least. I want to talk about a key moment in season five when Louis decides to make a deal with teddy teddy breaking away from franklin, what was it like to see your character turn into this businesswoman and evolve after all these years? Yeah, you know, I think that louis has always been a business woman, you know, and I think she's just had to fight for people to see that, you know, she's always made great decisions, she's always been super strategic and I think she just got tired of being overlooked and relegated to the kitchen and uh you know, So to speak and quite literally, and so I think uh it's been a really good thing both for louis and for myself to watch her decide to really take matters into her own hands. The show takes place in the 80s, what was it like to have that wardrobe and just the inspiration from that iconic decade? Oh it's been great, my fittings, my costume fittings are so long and so amazingly fun because they bring me, you know, just a plethora of clothes to look through and choose, and they're also beautiful and even the ones that are like super super eighties and scary, I try those on anyway and sometimes we're pleasantly surprised and it's just been it's great for the fittings are so much fun. Let's switch gears and switch gears here. Angela to something that I know is very near and dear to your heart. We're talking about black breastfeeding weeks. It's 10 week, 10 year anniversary awards dinner you're hosting. Why is this such an important event to you? Well, you know, I am a black mother now and the things that I learned about what is happening with other black women, the the dire straits that we're in, you know, dying when we should be fully immersed in a joy filled experience is really sad and uh nourishing your baby. Being able to nourish your baby from your body is a big component of, of survival. And you know, 74% of black infants are not breastfed and that's you know, there are infants are dying at three times the rate of our white counterparts. And you know, historically, you know, black women who were enslaved, we were not allowed to breastfeed our own babies, we had to breast feed everyone else. And so that has uh in the worst way evolved over, you know, the decades in the centuries. And to the point where now we we don't see ourselves breastfeeding, we don't think it's good. We don't understand, you know why it's healthy, why it's the healthiest choice. And you know, the mass marketing of formula pushed into our communities is just, you know, really created a terrible cycle of of things that prevents us from breastfeeding and and from our infants having the best outcomes the best start in life. And so I feel really passionate about reclaiming that along with the rest of my community who is um, you know, the producers, the founders of the Black breastfeeding week, um, which is august 25th through the 31st, you know, really pushing, you know, and advocating for black women to return to to, you know, black breastfeeding. I'm so glad you're bringing light to this because we hear about the mortality rates, especially when it comes to black women and their babies very quickly. Angela, what can people expect at this event? Oh, we can expect to be made aware of all the people who are on the ground who are, you know, pushing this cause forward. We can expect to be immersed in joy and and the celebration of, of black women and their babies and their families and black, uh, not only women, but um chest feeders, um, um birthing people who are really in there in the trenches with with each other and really wanting the best for our infants and our families and and doing that enjoy. I think the joy part is super, super important actor, Angela Lewis, thank you for everything you're doing here is to continued success and another season six. Thank you so much