Late Summer Delights

I hope you’ve enjoyed all that this summer has offered. I certainly appreciate the time I took to step away from work, spend time with family and friends, rest, and enjoy nature. The older I get, the more precious these late summer delights become. But I’m also happy to be back at work as we wind down BPM’s FY 2026 and prepare for the year ahead.

Planning for America’s next 250

This week, I am in Washington, D.C., participating in a PolicyLink Summit that’s focused on “Writing the Unfinished Story of our Democracy.” The convening’s call to action is for attendees to be the founders of the next blueprint for our democracy whose realization remains unfinished.  Traditional thought holds the founding of our democracy at a static point in time, 1776. But our democracy has never been static. The constitutional amendments over the past 250 years have strengthened our democracy by making the “we” more inclusive.  But there’s still more work to be done.

I’m excited to participate and look forward to sharing my reflections with you in an upcoming edition of the Weekly Dispatch.

 Coming Soon: Open Call

BPM’s next Open Call will open on Tues., Sept. 1. If you or someone you know is working on a nonfiction film, we hope you’ll submit it for consideration. If you’ve never submitted with us before, mark your calendar for Wed., Sept. 9, which is when we’re hosting an online informational session detailing what we’re looking for and how the submissions process works. The info session is free and open to all who are interested, but registration is required.

BPMplus at LA Tech Week

Then, on Thurs., Oct. 15, our BPMplus program will bring the BPM Games Showcase to Los Angeles Tech Week. Our public showcase will include 5 to 7 VR and PC game demos. We’re still recruiting showcase sponsors and collaborators, so if you or someone you know is interested in those opportunities, contact our emerging media director Lisa Osborne (bpmplus@blackpublicmedia.org). Otherwise, we invite those who will be in the area to drop by to play, and meet the makers and our staff. You’ll find details about the event on our social media.

At a time when Black content is enduring excessive scrutiny, I’m proud to lead an organization that supports an array of work reflecting the global Black experience. I’m also heartened to know BPM is just one of hundreds of organizations committed to bringing the yet unfulfilled vision this nation’s founding fathers imagined 250 years ago to fruition.  

Àṣẹ !