This Summer, Get On Board!

This summer, the U.S. Senate is scheduled to vote on bills that will determine the future of public media. The so-called “Big Beautiful Bill,” would eliminate federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Rescissions Act bill, would claw back funding that had already been appropriated for FY 2026. BPM is fortunate to not be totally dependent on public funding, but losing what we have from the federal government would require a radical revision of what we do and how we operate — at least in the short term. 

As daunting as these times may feel, I also recognize this as a time of tremendous opportunity. Americans will either step up and demand that their representatives preserve public media or not. Either way, Black Public Media and the makers whose content we support will not disappear. We now have an opportunity to attract and generate income in ways we’ve not tried before. This scenario also presents opportunities for us to explore new distribution channels. 

A Bigger, Bolder Vision

The vision that I, our board and staff have for BPM is much bigger than what our current funding profile reflects. I won’t get into the details of that vision here, but we’ve long understood that realizing it requires us to expand our base of support. In recent years, we’ve been very successful at cultivating private sector partnerships. We’ve also explored new ways to grow our individual donor base. The opportunities for us to continue fund raising in both these areas are vast.

Despite our nation’s recent economic woes, the collective economic power of Black consumers in the U.S. is approximately $1.7 Trillion. Black Public Media is well positioned to expand its base of support within that economy, within the broader U.S. economy and with economies abroad.

I hope the Senate will, once again, acknowledge the enormous value of public media and vote to preserve its funding. However, if they don’t, everything we’ve been doing for the past 46 years will not have been for naught. We’ve helped to bring about dramatic progress both behind and in front of the camera in the media industry and there’s no going back.

As someone who knows and loves this organization, I invite you to decide how you will show up in Black Public Media’s future. I also hope you’ll invite others in your network to join us. As the old Negro Spiritual says: 

“Get on board, little children. Get on board, little children. 

Get on board, little children, there’s room for many a more!”