MARCH 29, 2022 BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA WEEKLY DISPATCH By Leslie Fields-Cruz The Slap Heard ‘Round the World Last weekend ended with the national broadcast of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 94th Oscar Awards presentation. Big ups to Quest Love for winning Best Documentary for his film Summer of Soul. I saw …
MARCH 22, 2022 BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA WEEKLY DISPATCH By Leslie Fields-Cruz When You Rise, We Recognize There was a time when I looked forward to watching the media arts’ annual EGOT festivities (Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar, Tony awards). These days, the industry is so awash in award programs, I know I’m not the only …
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA WEEKLY DISPATCH By Leslie Fields-Cruz For Michelle Materre, Paying it Foward was a Way of Life I write this Dispatch with a heavy heart. The independent film field lost one of its finest last weekend: film educator, distributor, and Black film advocate Michelle Materre. I met Michelle at the beginning …
MARCH 8, 2022 BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA WEEKLY DISPATCH By Leslie Fields-Cruz Freedom of Speech, Alone, Is Worth Fighting For As the war in Ukraine wages on, I am reminded how fortunate we are to live in a democracy that values the free flow of information. Our system is certainly not perfect. But most Americans …
MARCH 1, 2022 BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA WEEKLY DISPATCH By Leslie Fields-Cruz It’s Women’s History Month, Let’s Celebrate! Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m not a big fan of winter. One thing I do appreciate about this is the time of year, however, is the opportunity to celebrate our history. There’s no doubt that …