Michèle Stephenson

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Michèle Stephenson is an American documentary filmmaker, artist, and author who pulls from her Panamanian and Haitian roots, and experience as a human rights attorney to tell compelling, deeply personal stories that are created by, for, and about communities of color. With spouse Joe Brewster, Stephenson founded the Rada Film Group. While raising a family in Brooklyn, New York, they directed and produced documentary and fiction films. In 2008, they directed Slaying Goliath, a documentary that follows 10 days in the life of their son's fifth grade basketball team in Harlem, New York, as they experienced a culture clash at a national tournament in suburban Florida. Brewster and Stephenson also produced and directed Faces of Change, which follows five activists on five continents fighting racism in their communities. In 1999, Brewster and Stephenson set out to document the experiences of their son and his best friend at the time both boys entered kindergarten at a private Manhattan prep school up until their upcoming high school graduation in 2012 in the documentary film, American Promise. Their goal was to closely examine the coming of age and school experiences of two middle class African American boys at The Dalton School, a predominantly white prep school, in the context of the persistent U.S. achievement gap. American Promise was broadcast on POV in 2013. Brewster and Stephenson are Sundance Institute Fellows, Tribeca All Access Fellows, and the recipients of the Tribeca Gucci Fund for Documentary Film for the 13-year longitudinal documentary. American Promise is the centerpiece of a transmedia engagement campaign that will use the mobile web and interactive technology to help propel young men of color to success.

Film	Credit
True North: Canadian Myths and Black Power2025 · Director	Director
The Age of Water2024 · Producer	Producer
Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project2023 · Producer, Writer, Director	Producer, Writer, Director
Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games2023 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
Subject2023 · Self	Self
FFor Our Girls2021 · Director	Director
Elena2021 · Director, Writer	Director, Writer
Decolonizing Mental Health2021 · Director	Director
The Changing Same - Episode 1: The Dilemma2021 · Producer, Director	Producer, Director
Stateless2020 · Director, Writer, Producer	Director, Writer, Producer
DDrawn to the Mat2019 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Changing Same2018 · Producer, Writer, Director	Producer, Writer, Director
AA Mother's Dream2016 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
AA Conversation with Black Women on Race2015 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
AA Conversation With Latinos on Race2015 · Director	Director
AA Conversation With Asian-Americans on Race2015 · Director	Director
AA Conversation with White People on Race2015 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
AA Conversation About Growing Up Black2015 · Producer	Producer
American Promise2013 · Self, Director, Producer	Self, Director, Producer
CComing Home: The Dry Storm2010 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Slaying Goliath2008 · Director, Writer, Producer	Director, Writer, Producer
FFaces of Change2006 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Killing Zone2003 · Producer	Producer
FFreddie Gray DocumentaryProducer	Producer
PPaul Robeson DocumentaryDirector, Producer, Writer	Director, Producer, Writer