Empowering Narratives: Black Public Media Secures $25,000 NEA Grant

By Francis Page, Jr.

Click here for updates on this story

    Jan. 25, 2024 (Houston Style Magazine) — Black Public Media (BPM), a Harlem-based national media arts nonprofit, is set to receive a $25,000 Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) award from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). This prestigious grant aims to support BPM’s initiative to bring public media and immersive content to diverse audiences across the U.S., further enriching the cultural landscape.

NEA’s GAP awards, totaling over $27.1 million in the first round of fiscal year 2024 grants, contribute significantly to strengthening the nation’s arts and cultural ecosystem. Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, expressed delight in supporting BPM, recognizing its role in fortifying the arts sector and local communities. The grant aligns with NEA’s mission to foster an environment where everyone has the opportunity to lead artful lives.

Leslie Fields-Cruz, Executive Director of BPM, expressed gratitude for the NEA’s continued support, emphasizing the impact of the funding on sharing compelling films and immersive content addressing crucial issues in communities nationwide.

The grant will enable BPM to launch a community engagement series in June, featuring public screenings of BPM-supported documentaries and immersive (VR/XR) media content. The events, extending through September, will be hosted in collaboration with cultural organizations across the country. The initiative includes showcasing documentaries from AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, BPM’s signature national television and streaming series. Additionally, BPM plans to organize VR/XR pop-up activations, connecting communities with immersive media and highlighting the storytelling prowess of Black creators. The initiative aims to bring documentaries and immersive content directly to underserved audiences, amplifying awareness of impactful stories within Black communities.

Stay informed about BPM’s initiatives and the NEA’s grant announcements by visiting blackpublicmedia.org or following BPM on YouTube, X, Instagram, and Facebook. For more details on NEA’s grant projects, visit arts.gov/news.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.