American Documentary

A letter from our Executive Director

We are over a week into the historic uprisings sparked by the lack of justice at the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Abrery and countless Black lives lost, compounded by centuries of systemic oppression and violence. Despite tremendous exhaustion and pain, this movement is being led by the same Black and Brown communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether you are a lifelong social justice activist or newly charged by this moment, this is a time for each of us to speak out and take action.

American Documentary stands in solidarity with our artists and communities everywhere against racism, anti-blackness and police brutality.

As a born & bred Minnesotan, white woman and mother of young boys, I have spent the past week in dialogue, action and deep reflection about how I am showing up at this time. While taking my son to a Sunday morning rally and making donations to Black-led organizations on the front lines, I understand it's not enough. I am aware of the ways that white womanhood has been weaponized against Black lives, from Indianola, Mississippi in 1955 to New York’s Central Park in 2020. It’s not enough to be “not racist”–and my ongoing anti-racism process includes unpacking my own white privilege and practicing allyship wherever I can. Racial equity labor cannot remain on the shoulders of our colleagues of color. Each day I strive to do better by our BIPOC staff, artists and partners, and continue to learn from mistakes of the past.I invite white friends to join me in addressing racism, starting within ourselves.

As executive director, I recognize the influence that American Documentary yields as well as the ways organizations like ours have benefited from an extractive and inequitable industry. We are called to be in dialogue about injustice and white supremacy–yet our field is predominantly led by white executives and the work is primarily about individuals and communities of color. As we reimagine what our industry and ecosystem look like moving forward, the positions of power need to shift. As a field, we need to support Black filmmakers and POC-led media organizations and ensure they have funding, distribution and promotion during this time and beyond.

As a national media arts nonprofit, we are a trusted platform for stories that resonate. The voices that we amplify right now matter. When we present Black stories from Black storytellers, we affirm that Black lives matter. We remain committed to championing films and interactive projects that shine a critical light on injustice, affirm diverse voices and center community movements—like Revolution ‘67, The Feeling of Being Watched, Hooligan Sparrow, Through the Night, Every Mother’s Son, The End of the Nightstick, Queen Vs. Godfred, Quest, Do Not Resist, And She Could Be Next, Whose Streets? and many others—with free companion material that delve into the issues at the heart of this moment.

As we support audiences, we also support artists. On June 15th, we are launching our pilot fund to provide critical support for the mental health wellness of Black artists as well as indigenous peoples and artists-of-color who are working as documentary directors, producers and interactive creators. We will share a press release next week with greater details.

American Documentary is committed to being a positive force for change.

Sending support to all those moving the current in that direction.

In solidarity,

Justine Nagan

Executive Director