The Cost of Cowardice

Despite millions of Americans’ pleas to preserve public media, Congress and the Senate opted to defund it. The resulting federal cuts mean Black Public Media is now facing a devastating $1.8 million loss. While this will not close our doors, it will sharply curtail our ability to fund independent media makers whose stories power public media.

This reduction means fewer grants, fewer Black stories in the public media pipeline, and fewer opportunities to support the next generation of media makers. Unless this funding is replaced, the ecosystem that nurtures, develops, and amplifies Black voices — already under-resourced — will be critically weakened.

BPM has long been a champion of diverse storytelling in public media. Defunding limits our impact at a critical moment for representation and access. 

Here’s how you can help right now:
✅ DONATE to support Black storytelling;

✅ SHARE this message with friends and allies who believe authentic representation of the Black experience is worth fighting for.

✅ WRITE CONGRESS and urge them to include funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in the ongoing FY26 Appropriations process.

Every action makes a difference. Together, we can protect the future of Black stories.