The Road to $50 Million

Ed Marshall Photography NYC

JULY 23, 2024

BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA

WEEKLY DISPATCH

By Leslie Fields-Cruz

I’m not gonna lie. When I heard the Harris campaign was able to raise nearly $50 million within the first 24 hours after President Biden’s announcement last Sunday, I was envious. I would gladly spend a whole day on the phone if I knew it would net $50 million. Imagine how many Black stories we could amplify with that amount of money. Alas, I’m not running for president of the United States. But I am asking you to make a donation to BPM. 

bpm filmmakers, staff, and world channel partners stand together holding their 2024 peabody award
(Left to right) Eboni Johnson-Kaba, Rosalynde LeBlanc, Tom Hurwitz, Leslie Fields-Cruz, and Chris Hastings at the 2024 Peabody Awards. Credit: TonyLoweImages

Your contributions, of any size, are what enable me and my colleagues to continue pursuing a future where Black stories are ubiquitous in public media. We’re not there yet, but just this year BPM content won a Peabody (our 10th) and another Anthem Award (our third consecutive). Such recognition not only attracts new audiences and greater distribution, it encourages our storytellers to be bold and dream big.

 Your Gifts Make it Happen

woman in black hat accepts award before a screen featuring an image from her project
Andrea Walls accepts her 2024 PitchBlack award. Credit: Ed Marshall Photography NYC

BPM awarded more than $600,000 in production funding and fellowships during PitchBLACK this year. We’ve also hosted more than a dozen makers through our fellowship and bootcamp programs. Our grantees and fellows are working on projects that feature people from as nearby as Philadelphia and Texas, and as far away as Puerto Rico and the Republic of Cameroon. 

These stories will reach audiences through traditional film as well as via immersive media. We’re able to create these opportunities because people like you contribute and inspire others to give to this amazing organization. Each individual gift then prompts larger contributions from our foundation and corporate partners. 

We’re living in dynamic times. There are SO many incredible Black stories out there just waiting to be told. BPM is committed to giving media makers the support they need to collect and turn these stories into projects that will inform, educate and entertain for generations. We’ve yet to raise $50 million in 24 hours. But we are making progress. Be a part of our story. Click below and give today. 

Subscribe Today!

If you’re not already receiving the BPM monthly newsletter and Weekly Dispatch, fill out the “Stay Informed” box at the bottom righthand corner of this webpage to subscribe.
BPM is supported by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with further funding from the MacArthur Foundation and the New York State Council on the Arts. BPM is the only nonprofit that offers training, funding and distribution for projects solely about the Black experience. We welcome foundations, corporations and individuals to help with our work. For more information about underwriting and contributions, contact Delynda Lindsey (delynda@blackpublicmedia.org).
Copyright (C) 2024, Black Public Media. All rights reserved.