A Peabody for ‘AfroPoP’
Looking back and forward as we bask in the joy of recognition
by Leslie Fields-Cruz
Two nights ago, I walked across the stage with Rosalynde LeBlanc and Tom Hurwitz, makers of Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters, to accept our Peabody Award. The film was broadcast on WORLD and PBS as part of BPM’s 15th season of AfroPoP: the Ultimate Cultural Exchange. BPM has received Peabodys for other projects it’s funded or produced (e.g., 180 Days). But this is the first time a documentary premiering under the AfroPoP banner has won a Peabody.
When Roz called out Duana Butler during her acceptance speech, hearing Duana’s name took me back to AfroPoP’s origins.
AFROPOP‘S BEGINNING
Duana was AfroPoP’s first producer and director. I contacted her after our then executive director, Jacquie Jones, gave me the green light to move forward with the series. Duana was working at WNET on the shorts series REEL 13. I thought she might be interested in this new venture. As fate would have it, she was.
For 12 seasons Duana directed and co-curated AfroPoP. She produced the first season with Idris Elba as the host, then worked as the series’ director under producers Phil Bertelsen (S2–3) and Angela Tucker (S4–12). During this time, my role at BPM began to change. I went from being the program development director, to VP of operations and programs. I took over as ED in 2014, when Jacquie stepped down. Keeping AfroPoP going through these changes was tough. We had little-to-no promotional budget, production costs were on the rise, makers were requesting higher acquisition fees for streaming rights, and funding was just barely enough. We ended the on-camera celebrity hosts to cut costs, but that wasn’t enough. I considered ending the series, but my colleague Diane Carr-Joseph convinced me to keep it going. Doing so, however, would require a drastic overhaul. We would have to produce the series with in-house staff and work with WORLD to package it.
HARD TIMES, TOUGH DECISIONS, SWEET REWARDS
I couldn’t renew Duana and Angela’s contracts for Season 13. I’ve always had a hard time delivering bad news to people I respect, admire and who have given so much to BPM. I knew it was the right thing to do if we were going to save the series. Nonetheless, it was difficult.
That was in 2019. Since then, AfroPoP has been guided by Denise Greene, BPM’s director of program development, and Chris Hastings at WORLD. The series continues to explore the dynamics and complexity of the global Black experience. We added a new digital shorts series in 2023, and for Season 16, decided to add two narrative features to the slate, which has historically focused on documentaries.
Maybe one of the Season 16 titles will be at the Peabodys next year. For now, Can You Bring It‘s win under the AfroPoP banner, means so much to me and BPM. Hearing Roz’s on-stage thanks to Duana brought everything full circle for me. Thank you, Duana, for being there for AfroPoP then and now.
BPM FILMMAKERS WIN EMMY
In other news, BPM extends congratulations to former BPM fellows Luchina Fisher and Shan Shan Tam on their receipt of a Daytime Emmy award last Friday. Their series The Dads won in the category of Outstanding Short Form Program.
The series is gentle meditation on fatherhood, brotherhood and manhood. It features five fathers of trans children who join Dennis Shepard — the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard — for a weekend fishing trip in rural Oklahoma.
NEW FILM FEST SEEKS SUBMISSIONS
CineOdyssey, a new animation film festival based in Charlotte, N.C., is currently accepting submissions of short films — in narrative and documentary formats — as well as feature films across all genres. With a focus on diversity and excellence, CineOdyssey is committed to recognizing the unique and powerful stories that resonate within and beyond communities of color.
The submissions window closes Aug. 19, so don’t delay. The inaugural festival is set to dazzle this fall, running Oct. 17–19. Go here for submission details, deadlines and more.
— Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media
