HBO’s On the Record has served as an important conversation starter across media (including here at The Root), but as we all know, the work is ongoing and must continue.
As such, On the Record filmmakers Kirby Dick & Amy Ziering have announced a fundraising campaign to honor the women who came forward with their stories in the gripping doc, Drew Dixon, Sil Lai Abrams and Sheri Sher, as well as all of the women who participated in the film.
On Friday, production company Jane Doe Films confirmed via Twitter that the filmmakers will be partnering with three NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) which provide sexual assault support spaces for women, particularly women of color.
Dick and Ziering will be donating $25K of their own money to split among the organizations.
The three participating organizations include:
- Black Women’s Blueprint, “a transnational Black feminist organization which celebrates and seizes the opportunities of the African diaspora, all while mourning the violent conditions that created it.”
- Equality Now, whose mission is “ to use the law to protect and promote the human rights of women and girls all over the world.”
- RAINN, “the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.”
But that’s not all—there’s a social media aspect, too. So, here’s how the interactive aspect of this works: To create further awareness, the filmmakers will match an additional $1 for every retweet that their initial announcement tweet (this one) gets over the course of next week, up to $25K. That means a total of $50K will be split between these three organizations.
As noted in the press release sent to The Root, this will be the first charity campaign of its kind led by a film. As we’ve noted in the past, this documentary serves as a reminder that Black women’s voices are constantly erased throughout many aspects of society, including the music industry and the media which supports it.
With this initiative, the filmmakers are taking one more step to ensure Black women aren’t silenced—and are putting their money where their mouths are.
You can currently stream On the Record on HBO Max.