A Resounding Revolutionary Life: In Memory of Mable Staten Haddock

After taking a bit of time to process the passing of Ms. Mable Haddock, a dearly beloved and highly influential contributor to BlackFemaleProject’s inaugural story collection, we're sharing these reflections with our community, in honor of her life. As a media giant who used the power of storytelling to effect change, Ms. Haddock's impact on Founder Precious Stroud and our entire community was particularly profound. 

Ms. Haddock was the founding president and CEO of the National Black Programming Consortium, now known as Black Public Media. Her understanding and use of media as a tool for narrative and social change created far-reaching impact. She was behind many productions that elevated diverse truths of Black Americans, told by Black Americans, including Mandela, The Fannie Lou Hamer Story, Daughters of the Dust, Tongues Untied, and MR. SOUL!, an award-winning documentary about America's first nationally broadcast, all-Black variety show, SOUL!

As current Black Public Media Executive Director, Leslie Fields-Cruz said, “Mable exemplified what it meant to be authentically Black and female in a professional space. She wasn’t afraid to speak truth to power, both verbally and in her writings." While we aspire to provide reflection and insights for Black women coming behind us in their professional journeys, Ms. Haddock did the same for us, reminding us—through her words and her example—that we can do our best work and leave the most powerful legacy by being true to ourselves and our communities.

Her accomplishments and accolades are many, and we are deeply touched that Ms. Haddock chose to spend time sharing her story with us. She made her transition Saturday, July 23, 2022, in New York City after a long battle with kidney cancer. She was 74.

In honor and memory of
Ms. Mable Haddock, 1948-2022