Memorial Fund for Mable Staten Haddock

The public media community lost a much-loved champion of black television and film with the passing of Mable Staten Haddock. On Saturday, July 23, 2022, Mable succumbed to kidney disease following a brief hospitalization. She dedicated her life to bringing authentic, diverse voices to public media and beyond. In 1979, Mable helped found the National Black Programming Consortium - now Black Public Media, in Columbus, Ohio, to support black stories and storytellers in film and television. She helmed the nonprofit for a quarter of a century and oversaw its transition to its eventual home in Harlem.

During her tenure, Mable dispersed more than $6 million in funding to hundreds of film and TV producers. She supported scores of documentaries and programs that aired on public television. Mable spent her career nurturing filmmakers of color -- fighting for funding of projects, often providing initial funding and sometimes using her limited resources. Filmmakers benefited from her insightful input and astute storytelling skills to push projects forward. Few documentary filmmakers have not benefited from her counsel.

Now her family needs your support. Your generous donation will help to lay Mable to rest in her hometown of Clover, VA. The funds also will be used to support a public memorial to give the media community that she loved and worked tirelessly on behalf an opportunity to celebrate her life and career.