By Black Public Media
After Congress’ 2025 vote to rescind public media funding put the future of Peabody Award-winning series “AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” at risk, Black Public Media is bringing its signature series back for an 18th season — remaining on track for the series’ milestone 100th film presentation later this year. Presented by Black Public Media and PBS Plus, “AfroPoP” is the only U.S.-based public media show devoted to independent documentaries and narrative films about contemporary life, art and culture across the African diaspora.
The new season premieres June 15 with “Listen to Me,” timed ahead of Father’s Day and the national Juneteenth celebration. The series continues July 2 with “This World Is Not My Own,” as the nation marks the 250th anniversary of American independence and reflects on the contributions of all Americans.
A third title, planned for November, will be announced later this year.
“Listen to Me,” by Kanika Harris and Stephanie Etienne, follows the stories of three Black women on the journey to motherhood as they navigate pregnancy, birth and care in America. The feature documentary sheds light on the racial disparities and compounding challenges driving the Black maternal health crisis while honoring the strength, sorrow, joy and resilience that shape these women’s lives. Through intimate storytelling, “Listen to Me” becomes both an urgent portrait of systemic inequity and a call to action for justice, healing and generational care. The film premieres June 15 on the PBS App and PBS.org. Check local listings for broadcast times.
BPM was an early funder of “Listen to Me,” which was a winner of BPM’s 2021 PitchBLACK Forum, the nation’s largest pitching competition for Black film and immersive stories, designed to bring important stories to market.
“This World Is Not My Own,” by Opendox (Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell), is an award-winning feature documentary about Nellie Mae Rowe, the self-taught Black artist whose vibrant, unconventional work emerged from the rural South and gained broader recognition late in her life. Covering Rowe’s life across the 20th century, the film explores the experiences and forces that shaped her art, from her roots as the daughter of a sharecropper and formerly enslaved father to her late emergence on the national art scene. Combining documentary footage with animation and scripted scenes, the film presents a luminous portrait of an artist whose imagination transformed the ordinary into the unforgettable.
The film also portrays the unlikely friendship Rowe had with gallery owner and arts patron, Judith Alexander, whose father was a segregationist attorney. Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, known for her roles on hit television series “The Residence” and “Orange Is the New Black,” gives voice and movement to Rowe, while Broadway veteran Amy Warren does the same for Alexander. “This World Is Not My Own” is the first feature-length documentary to premiere on BPM’s YouTube channel.
“AfroPoP” is executive produced by BPM Executive Director Leslie Fields-Cruz. Denise A. Greene is series producer/director.
“Congress’ 2025 rescission vote threatened this season of ‘AfroPoP’ but it did not stop it,” said Fields-Cruz. “As ‘AfroPoP’ returns and reaches its 100th film presentation, it underscores both the endurance of the series and the continuing need for Black stories in public media.”
With its season 18 offerings, “AfroPoP” would have presented 100 diverse feature and short films about the African diaspora on public media since its premiere in 2008. Directors whose films have appeared in the series include George Amponsah, Joel Zito Araújo, Violeta Ayala, Blitz Bazawule, Yaba Blay, Barron Claiborne, Rebecca Richman Cohen, Bobbito Garcia, Alain Gomis, Thomas Allen Harris, Eric Kabera, Terence Nance, Raoul Peck, Sam Pollard, Michèle Stephenson, Anisia Uzeyman, Marco Williams and Saul Williams.
“”AfroPoP is presented with the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
To find out more about “AfroPoP,” visit https://blackpublicmedia.org/afropop/.
About the presenters
About Black Public Media:
BPM supports the development of visionary content creators and distributes stories about the global Black experience to inspire a more equitable and inclusive future. For 45+ years, BPM has addressed the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. BPM-supported programs have won five Emmys®,10 Peabodys, five Anthem Awards, 14 Emmy® nominations and an Oscar® nomination. BPM continues to address historical, contemporary and systemic challenges that traditionally impede the development and distribution of Black stories.
About Pbs Plus:
PBS Plus is a syndicated programming service for public television stations, supplementing the primetime, daily news and children’s content in the National Program Service, providing series and specials intended for various dayparts. All PBS member stations, reaching all available national TV households, have access to PBS Plus content. Annually, stations are provided with approximately 500 hours of programming via PBS Plus.
PBS Plus series and specials range from “how-to” programs such as “This Old House” and food series such as “Family Ingredients” to topical news and information programs and arts and cultural shows such as “Austin City Limits” and “The Caverns Sessions.”