The Central New York Community Foundation’s short documentary, Voices Rising: Syracuse’s Fight Against Lead Poisoning, was featured yesterday in Reel Change: A TFN Virtual Film Series, presented by The Funders Network (TFN). The national series highlights documentaries that explore the challenges communities face and the local leaders driving meaningful, equitable change.
Produced by Black Cub Productions and funded by the Community Foundation, the film documents Syracuse’s first participatory budgeting project, held in support of the Foundation’s LeadSafeCNY initiative. The project empowered residents to determine how $150,000 in grant funding would be used to increase childhood lead testing and awareness.
The October 22 screening was followed by a moderated discussion featuring Darrell Buckingham, senior program officer at the Community Foundation; Eric Jackson, CEO and founder of Black Cub Productions; and moderator Qiana Williams, senior program officer at the Community Foundation and 2024 TFN PLACES alum. Together, they reflected on the film’s themes of civic engagement, environmental justice, and collective action.
“This film captures what happens when residents have both the tools and the trust to make decisions about their community’s future,” said Williams. “The participatory budgeting process gave neighbors ownership over solutions to one of Syracuse’s most pressing health issues.”
Jackson added that the partnership allowed his production team to “amplify voices that too often go unheard.” He said, “We wanted viewers to feel the strength and resolve of the people who are confronting lead poisoning not just as a statistic, but as a lived experience.”
Voices Rising: Syracuse’s Fight Against Lead Poisoning first premiered in 2024 at the Everson Museum of Art and continues to serve as a testament to resident-led problem solving. Its inclusion in the Reel Change series extends its reach to a national audience of funders and changemakers seeking to learn from Syracuse’s example.
“Central New York’s story is one of resilience and collaboration,” said Melanie Littlejohn, Community Foundation president & CEO. “To see our community’s work recognized on a national platform reaffirms that the most enduring change happens when we listen to and invest in local voices.”
The documentary remains available for public viewing at cnycf.org/voicesrising.
