November 19, 2025
The loss of federal funding has led to BPM’s public plea to keep its operations afloat.
Black Public Media is making a public plea for its supporters to “take a stand” in support of them this upcoming Giving Tuesday.
The national nonprofit, dedicated to producing media projects centered on the Black experience, is asking those who care about its mission to keep it afloat on the day to give back. BPM released the Giving Tuesday Plea on Nov. 18, as the campaign helps its national plan to continue telling Black stories.
The money will go toward BPM’s Black Stories Production Fund, created in the aftermath of the organization’s significant loss in federal funding. In July, Congress recalled the $1.8 million granted to BPM for its storytelling operations after pulling back funds to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Now, BPM hopes to raise $9 million from a mix of individual donors, larger foundations, and corporations. Founded in 1979, it has spent decades unearthing and spotlighting various parts of Black American life and culture, while becoming a pillar of diverse media available to the public.
With its existence in jeopardy, the award-winning nonprofit has called upon its multigenerational viewers to sustain its productions. Its place in the media landscape remains invaluable, as BPM leadership hopes those who watched its projects will also chip in to the cause.
“Public media is for every American, and every American should be reflected in its programs and documentaries,” said BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. “For nearly 50 years, Black Public Media has worked to ensure that fact. This year, the public needs to take a stand to ensure that Black stories are never again subject to the whims of politics.”
It calls on the public to donate as little as $5 to its mission to create new stories and ensure its current slate of films sees the screen. BPM has also been responsible for creating I Am Not Your Negro, Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed, Ailey, and its upcoming release, a Barbara Jordan documentary.
With these pivotal narratives on Black figures and histories, BPM has also amplified the talents of Black creatives who developed these projects. It hopes to continue these work opportunities for filmmakers and those invested in emerging technologies, but cannot do so without this public monetary support.
On Giving Tuesday, which takes place Dec. 1, supporters and viewers of Black-led content are encouraged to pour into this critical avenue for the creation and distribution of these stories.
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