{"id":26306,"date":"2023-01-16T16:22:22","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T00:22:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/?post_type=blog&p=26306"},"modified":"2023-08-24T16:29:36","modified_gmt":"2023-08-24T23:29:36","slug":"from-podcast-to-doc-erika-alexander-and-whitney-dow-on-their-reparation-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/independentlens\/blog\/from-podcast-to-doc-erika-alexander-and-whitney-dow-on-their-reparation-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"From Podcast to Doc: Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow on Their Reparation Collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Will the burden to make restitution for Black Americans ever be addressed, or is it too late for a reparations movement to finally happen? That question is at the center of the provocative documentary <\/span>The Big Payback<\/i><\/b><\/a>, which focuses especially on a groundbreaking reparations bill in Evanston, Illinois, to address housing discrimination. The film also looks at the national debate to redress slavery and ingrained racism, and the effort to get reparations bill H.R. 40 passed since being introduced by U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

The film’s co-director <\/span>Erika Alexander<\/b> has had a long successful career as an actress, garnering two NAACP Image Awards as a performer in the series<\/span> Living Single<\/span><\/i>, and appearing in so many great roles since. She is also a creator, \u200b\u200bproducer (including for the acclaimed doc <\/span>John Lewis: Good Trouble<\/span><\/i>), activist, and co-founder of an innovative production company\u2014to say she wears a lot of hats wouldn’t do all her work justice.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For <\/span>The Big Payback, <\/span><\/i>Alexander partnered up with award-winning docmaker and educator <\/span>Whitney Dow<\/b>, whose two decades of work (including <\/span>POV<\/span><\/i>\u2019s <\/span>Two Towns of Jasper<\/span><\/i><\/a> and <\/span>Independent Lens<\/span><\/i>‘ <\/span>When the Drum Is Beating<\/span><\/i><\/a>) has focused on race and identity. Their collaboration evolved from their <\/span>Big Payback<\/span><\/i> podcast series<\/span><\/a>, which they talk more about below. They also touch on how viewers can use the doc as a discussion tool, and what a future with reparations could look like. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Evolving from Podcast to a Documentary<\/b><\/p>\n

Erika<\/b>: The journey from podcast to film was wild. Both are balancing acts, done standing on one leg, while moving on a fast train.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[Making] the documentary was <\/span>brutal<\/span>, because it\u2019s real life, and life must be captured “or else”\u2014COVID-19 be damned! Whitney was our relentless captain. Along with our Chicago team, all MVP\u2019s, braving everything, including sickness and death, to get the filming done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n