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Lantigua Williams & Co.

Kensington, Maryland

Grants

2023 (1 year 2 months)
$225,000

Lantigua Williams & Co. (LWC) is an independent digital media production company, whose mission is to support the work of creators of color and originate content that centers people of color. This award supports the production, distribution, and promotion of a special series of 70 Million, a narrative, open-source podcast that chronicles the impact of local jails on individuals and communities and the role system stakeholders play in addressing the problem of jail misuse and overuse. The new series investigates the role of local jails at the intersection of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and gender. MacArthur funds support the production of this investigative podcast, and the intended outcome is greater public understanding of the intersection of local jails, the ICE detention system, and gender of those detained.

2021 (1 year 9 months)
$250,000

Lantigua Williams & Co. (LWC) is an award winning, audio and video production company, led by a well-known journalist and former lead editor and producer of National Public Radio’s Code Switch, an influential podcast that explores news from a race and culture perspective. LWC’s mission is to support and amplify the work of creators of color in digital audio and film. LWC publishes stories in the seams of society, where strength and courage dwell. Its work stems from a mandate to use digital narrative tools to bring people and topics from the margins to the center. This award supports the production and distribution of an initial 10-episode season of “Modern Reparations” (working title) to inform, stimulate, and underscore the growing national conversation about reparations in America. The documentary style episodes will explore the historical and current context around the push for reparations; the role of government and institutions in upholding the institution of slavery and its progenies; and the lingering impacts of slavery and discrimination on African-Americans and society today.

2020 (2 years)
$420,000

Lantigua Williams & Co. (Lantigua Williams) is an independent digital media producer, whose mission is to support the work of creators of color and originate content that centers people of color. This award supports the production, distribution, and promotion of the fourth and fifth seasons of 70 Million, a narrative, open-source podcast that chronicles the impact of local jails on individuals and communities and the role system stakeholders play in addressing the problem of jail misuse and overuse. The podcast is widely distributed via all major digital audio platforms worldwide, and its first three seasons were a critical and commercial success, surpassing industry benchmarks for similar boutique podcasts in terms of listens, impressions, and listen-through rates. Lantigua Williams has won multiple awards for 70 Million; the series has demonstrated its potential to reach and engage a vast new audience by helping listeners understand the urgent need to address the problem of jail misuse and overuse, building broad support for solutions, centering the voices of individuals most affected, and creating national momentum for reform.

2018 (2 years)
$480,000

Lantigua Williams & Co. (Lantigua Williams) is an independent digital media producer based in Washington, DC. This award supports the production, distribution, and promotion of the second and third seasons of 70 Million, a narrative, open-source podcast that chronicles the impact of local jails on individuals and communities and the role system stakeholders play in addressing the problem of jail misuse and overuse. The podcast is widely distributed via all major digital audio platforms worldwide, and its first season was a critical and commercial success, surpassing industry benchmarks for similar boutique podcasts in terms of listens, impressions, and listen-through rates. The series has demonstrated its potential to reach and engage a vast new audience, helping listeners understand the urgent need to address the problem of jail misuse and overuse, building broad support for solutions, and creating national momentum for reform.

2017 (1 year)
$180,000

Lantigua Williams & Co. (Lantigua Williams) is a new audio and video production company, led by a well-known journalist and former lead editor and producer of National Public Radio’s Code Switch, an influential podcast that explores news from a race and culture perspective. This award supports the production and distribution of the initial ten-episode season of a new podcast that would focus on front-end criminal justice reforms aimed at reducing the use of jails. With extensive distribution via established podcast channels, the podcast has the potential to reach and engage a vast new audience, helping them to see the urgent need to address the problem of jail misuse and overuse, and building broad support for solutions.