"Blackgirl Dreaming" Documentary Pilot

Did you know that Blackgirls are more likely than students of any other race or gender to be suspended from school more than once? They are often over-surveilled and even pushed out due to people’s negative perceptions of them and biased school policies that criminalize them. Despite these realities, the disproportionate disciplining of Blackgirls is commonly ignored and overlooked. Yet and still, Blackwomen are among the most educated group in the United States. It makes you wonder what that journey through schooling must look like and feel like for Blackgirls… what stories they hold in their hearts that shape who they are and who they become… what visions and dreams they possess about what school could be if we really got it right for them. These are the wonderings that we explore in the Blackgirl Dreaming documentary.

My name is Dr. Cathryn Devereaux, and I am an Assistant Professor of Education at Drew University in Madison, NJ. I am fundraising for a pilot documentary entitled Blackgirl Dreaming, of which I am the writer and director. The Blackgirl Dreaming full-length feature documentary will explore the lived experiences of Blackgirls from communities across the United States and their dreams of and visions for K-12 schooling. The pilot, a short sample of the documentary, will be filmed in New Jersey, and will feature documentary-style interviews with local Blackgirls, capturing their firsthand accounts of school experiences, struggles, triumphs, hopes, and dreams. This documentary, infused with the perspectives of educators and scholars in the field and moments of Blackgirl magic and joy, will showcase the potential of what schools will be when we take time and space to listen to and honor the visions of Blackgirls. Overall, Blackgirl Dreaming pushes back against negative narratives surrounding Blackgirls, allowing them to display their authentic selves and the multifaceted experiences of Black Girlhood.

This work is deeply personal to me as a Blackwoman, once Blackgirl, and forever educator who envisions a better, brighter, more equitable education system that builds upon Blackgirls’ dreams and catapults them into actualization. This documentary will serve as a catalyst for school systems around the country to identify oppressive practices, procedures, and structures that stifle multiply-marginalized groups and guide them into transformative possibilities for the present and future.

My team and I are requesting donations for this pilot documentary, which will be used to market the concept to major networks and streaming platforms and generate more funding to shoot the full-length feature documentary. Funds will be used to finance the production crew, specialty talent, equipment, locations, food and beverages for filming dates, participants' transportation to and from filming locations, post-production, and marketing. Following your contribution, we will send periodic updates on the fundraising and filming progress so that you will know how your donations have multiplied and manifested.

For more information about the documentary, please visit the Blackgirl Dreaming page at cathryndevereaux.com/BlackgirlDreaming.