Nominations bestowed to investigative series ‘Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast’ and short film on urban flooding ‘Freshwater’
WASHINGTON – Hip Hop Caucus is honored to receive two nominations for original projects as part of the 55th NAACP Image Awards. Hip Hop Caucus’ groundbreaking podcast series, ‘Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast,’ is nominated in the ‘Outstanding Limited Series/Short Form Podcast’ category and Hip Hop Caucus’ Think 100% FILMS executive produced short film ‘Freshwater’ is nominated for ‘Outstanding Short Form Documentary.’
Hosted by expert forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. and human rights scholar Dr. Jay Aronson, ‘Official Ignorance’ aims to shed light on individuals who have died in law enforcement custody and outlines a practical and achievable system for accurately recording and investigating these deaths.
“We are excited and honored to be nominated for this award,” said ‘Official Ignorance’ podcast co-host, Howard University Chair of Pathology and Hip Hop Caucus board member Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. “Official Ignorance finally gives a critical voice to the issue of death that occurs in the U.S. criminal legal system. Thank you NAACP for recognizing the importance of this work!”
“It is an honor to be nominated,” said ‘Official Ignorance’ podcast co-host and Carnegie Mellon University professor Dr. Jay Aronson. “And I hope that it will increase awareness about our podcast and, more importantly, the issue of deaths in law enforcement custody in the United States.”
‘Freshwater,’ which was created and narrated by filmmaker dream hampton, explores her remembrance of urban flooding in the Midwest and centers adolescence and climate change as themes. ‘Freshwater’ was produced by Pink Gators and was jointly released through The New York Times Op-Docs and PBS POV.
As dream hampton shared with The New York Times in reflection on ‘Freshwater,’ “The team who made this film is a small cadre, a unit of people who love Detroit and wanted to create a tiny piece of art that wasn’t expected to perform in any particular way. Like a river, ‘Freshwater’ is meant to simply flow.”
Hip Hop Caucus’ Managing Director and COO Liz Havstad said, “We are so proud of these two productions. It’s central to our mission to tell stories that inspire audiences to imagine and fight for a more just and sustainable world. Receiving these nominations is an honor and is affirming that art and activism are powerful together.”
The 55th NAACP Image Awards will be held on Saturday, March 16, 2024 and will broadcast live on BET and CBS. To cast a vote for the ‘Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast,’ visit vote.naacpimageawards.net.
To subscribe to ‘Official Ignorance: The Death in Custody Podcast’ and for detailed episode information, visit www.officialignorance.com. To watch ‘Freshwater’ and for more information, visit www.freshwatershortfilm.com.
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About Hip Hop Caucus
Formed in 2004, the Hip Hop Caucus (HHC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, HHC addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. HHC programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.
