The following post was originally published on June 9, 2020

Eradicating Racism is Commitment, Not Just ‘A Thing’

by Leslie Fields-Cruz

Many thanks to those of you who have issued statements of support for #Black Lives Matter. Many thanks to those of you who have reached out to request/share resources about racial injustice in America. In times like these, information is gold. Yet, I have to be honest. It took me a while to pull my thoughts together.

The senseless deaths of George Floyd, Ahmad Arbrey, and Breonna Taylor, on top of the pandemic’s decimating effects on Black lives and reading the string of statements by various companies announcing their objection to police brutality, support of Black Lives, and a vow to end social injustices left  me  hollow.  I know a few of them will make good on their promise, but in the days, months, and years ahead, the work to end systemic racism must not stop. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon. 

A Pervasive Social Illness

Racism is a social illness and its long tentacles are deeply embedded into every aspect of American life. We at Black Public Media should know. We’ve been working for 40 years to dislodge the tentacle buried deep within the film and TV industry. We’ve provided funding for hundreds of films that explore what it means to be Black in America and beyond. We’ve given hundreds of producers the information and resources needed to be competitive in an industry that too often hires “who they know” instead of who’s best for the work.  We’ve seen change, but not nearly as quickly or radically as we might have hoped. Systemic racism is pervasive and pernicious. There is massive resistance to true inclusion and equity in part because America does not recognize the fullness of the Black experience.   

Requires a Full Commitment

Eradicating 401 years of systemic racism requires a full commitment. It can’t be achieved by simply posting a statement and “Blackening” your social media feed for a few weeks. It won’t be achieved by showing up to a protest, or donating to Black-run organizations, or patronizing Black businesses. That’s not to say those gestures aren’t welcome. They are, but to truly eradicate racism, one must first see Black people, and all people of color, as the full human beings that we have always been. Then your donations, spending practices, protests aren’t momentary actions to ease your discomfort or guilt. They will become regularly ingrained, consistent, non-wavering actions that span days, months, and years.

By all means, watch the films about racial injustice, police brutality, and Black incarceration. But know the Black experience, as well as the experiences of other people of color, is not solely defined by our pain and suffering. There is joy and happiness, too. So in addition to watching films about how inhumanely and unjustly we’ve been treated over the centuries, watch the 59 episodes of our award-winning AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange series, and the titles from our list of funded films. I suggest you also visit the websites of our colleagues of the National MultiCultural Alliance and watch their films, too.  And of course, don’t forget to read some books, listen to podcasts, watch some theater, stand with us against racist policies and policymakers, and cultivate real relationships with people of color.

Black Creatives: Stay the Course

My message to Black content creators is unchanged: continue doing your job. The work you produce is essential, not only for educating those outside of our communities, but for buoying our people’s spirits as we continue this struggle. Organizations like BPM are here to help. It is why we’ve given away more than $14 million over our 40-year history to media makers whose work is changing the narrative about Black folk across the globe, #BPM40th.  It’s why we wouldn’t let the pandemic shut down our 2020 Black Media Story Summit, which will be held virtually June 23-25 (you can register here). It is why our sister organization, Firelight Media — founded by BPM 40th Anniversary Game Changer Stanley Nelson — recently launched a new summer series to examine how filmmakers of color can move forward in an unstable economy.  Each week, “Beyond Resilience” will feature online screenings, articles and essays, curated conversations, and collective art projects slated to explore the challenges, strategies, and experiences of creating and distributing work during a time of crisis.  It’s why another BPM 40th Anniversary Game Changer, Ava DuVernay,  recently launched a $3 million initiative that will fund 25 short-term projects in film, theater, music and literature to address the issue of police brutality, particularly in communities of color.  LEAP, as the program is called, expects to release its first project in August.

Everyone Has A Role to Play

We all have a role to play in this movement. If you fully commit yourself to eradicating systemic racism, then your actions will mean something 2, 5, 10, 100 years from now.