Politics In Film: Are Black Stories Going Extinct In America?
By Africa-Related, New York
Over the decades, Black Public Media has invested over $17 million in films and other stories and helped nurture the careers of many acclaimed documentary directors and other creatives.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA MAKES URGENT GIVING TUESDAY PLEA
After losing $1.8 million in funding, national nonprofit asks the public to donate to ensure Black stories are never again subject to political whims
NEW YORK (November 18, 2025) — The Harlem-based national nonprofit Black Public Media, from which Congress snatched back $1.8 million of allocated federal funding last July, is making a pressing plea to the public for support this holiday season. The appeal is part of its grassroots plan to raise $9 million over the next two years from individual donors, as well as large contributions from foundations and corporations. BPM, which has funded popular documentary films and immersive media projects about the Black experience to the tune of $17 million since its founding in 1979, is asking people who care about the future of Black stories to make a donation by GivingTuesday (December 2).
The proceeds raised will fuel BPM’s Black Stories Production Fund, launched in response to the federal government’s recent defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. CPB, which was the largest supporter of BPM, is now winding down its operations.
“Public media is for every American, and every American should be reflected in its programs and documentaries,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “For nearly 50 years, Black Public Media has worked to ensure that fact. This year, the public needs to take a stand to ensure that Black stories are never again subject to the whims of politics.”
BPM is asking the public to donate as little as $5 or as significant a contribution as they wish at: https://secure.everyaction.com/IkFxVSdjX0qpQkceW1r27g2. It also invites foundations and other funders to support the Black Stories Production Fund. The Fund will ensure that films like The Inquisitor, the Barbara Jordan documentary scheduled to premiere in January 2026;Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, Ailey; Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters, Daughters of the Dust, I Am Not Your Negro, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes, Mr. Soul, When Claude Got Shot and hundreds more are able to come to public media and beyond.
The group has nurtured the careers of generations of filmmakers and creatives who have unearthed and brought Black stories to television screens, movie theaters and personal devices across the U.S.
BPM also supports the next generation of creative technologists in emerging media (e.g., virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies), and works to connect them to opportunities and equipment to shape impactful immersive projects.
To find out more about BPM, visit blackpublicmedia.org or follow it on social media at: @blackpublicmedia (IG, FB, TikTok and LinkedIn).
“Public media is for every American, and every American should be reflected in its programs and documentaries. ”
ABOUT BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA:
Leslie Fields-Cruz BPM Executive Director. Photo credit Yekaterina Gyadu
Black Public Media supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For 45+ years, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. BPM-supported programs have won five Emmys, 10 Peabodys, five Anthem Awards, 14 Emmy nominations and an Oscar nomination. BPM continues to address historical, contemporary and systemic challenges that traditionally impede the development and distribution of Black stories.
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For media inquiry, contact:
Cheryl L. Duncan
Cheryl Duncan & Company, Inc.
cheryl@cdcprnews.com