Wildfire Smoke is No Joke
BPM invites climate change stories to this year’s Open Call
by Leslie Fields-Cruz
Last week, the New York City metropolitan area was engulfed in wildfire smoke. I hadn’t seen red skies like that since growing up against the foothills of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley. There, “fire season” runs from late August through the fall. I can remember a few times when our schools had to close because ashes floated down from the sky like snow. I didn’t see anything like that last week, but cities and towns from Maine to the Carolinas and as far away as Norway and other parts of Europe declared air-quality emergencies as the smoke from Canadian wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta traveled thousands of miles.
For people who work outdoors and those with respiratory disorders, I’m sure the experience was terrifying. Respiratory illnesses disproportionately affect African Americans, especially those who live in economically depressed areas. Which is why when I hear Black folks say things like, “environmental protection is for White folks,” my heart sinks.
People say things like this because they almost never see themselves in media stories on environmental issues. We might not think of ourselves as contributing to environmental degradation, but we certainly are suffering its consequences disproportionally. It is also true that the environmental movement has a growing cohort of Black leaders. These are just some of the reasons I look forward to inviting filmmakers to submit environment-related projects to our Open Call this fall. We must tell these stories. Our communities need them as much as we need outsiders to understand the extent to which these problems are eroding our quality of life and flat out killing us. Over the summer, we’ll release details about how to submit projects for consideration. Meanwhile, we invite you to spend this coming Juneteenth weekend immersing yourself in the following media stories of Black liberation:
Black Disquisition, by Quincy Ledbetter, is an animated short about a 21st century tween’s unfortunate encounter with racism and the subsequent talk his parents have with him about it. The 10-minute short premieres on the BPM YouTube channel Mon., June 19, starting at 7 a.m. ET, making it a great way to kick-start your Juneteenth observance.
Keyshawn Solves It, by Ed Jenkins, offers eight, bite-size episodes about a 10-year-old detective who is racing to solve a mystery in his neighborhood in time for the annual Juneteenth bike parade. Gather up the youngins to listen to the BPM-funded PBSKids podcast at home, outdoors, or on your way to whatever adventure you’ve mapped out for this historic day.
Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts, by Dru Holley, premieres this week on PBS and WORLD. The film, which competed in BPM’s PitchBLACK in 2021, reminds Americans of a chapter in U.S. military history that is too often overlooked.
After Sherman, by Jon-Sesrie Goff, follows South Carolina descendants of enslaved Africans as they confront the nation over reparations they were promised more than a century ago. Find it in theaters all month long or watch the broadcast premiere on POV Mon., June 26.
DC/DOX Festival is showcasing several films by Black makers, including Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster’s Going to Mars (6/18, 2 p.m. ET, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.) and an episode of Dawn Porter’s new docuseries, Confirmed, about the U.S. Supreme Court (6/18, 11 a.m. E.T., MLK Jr. Library, Washington, D.C.). Visit the festival website for passes and tickets.
Tribeca Festival is marking Juneteenth with a celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th anniversary. Visit the festival website for a listing of films running all week and through the weekend.
This and back editions of the Weekly Dispatch are available on BPM’s website and on Medium.
— Fields-Cruz is the executive director of Black Public Media
