Started 27 years ago, the WNBA has faced an uphill battle since its origin, consistently being underestimated. And it has met the challenges it has faced with grace and clarity of purpose. Not only have they become one of the most successful women’s leagues in the US, showcasing amazing displays of athleticism, they have also led the charge in embracing their responsibility as role models and ambassadors of change. From its championing of LGBTQIA+ rights to its highlighting of the #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName movements, the league steps up. And when WNBA team owner Kelly Loeffler decided to disparage their efforts for change, the W stepped up once more, forever changing U.S. politics.
Award-winning, acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter has emerged in the entertainment industry as a leader in the art of storytelling; directing and producing critically acclaimed projects that have impacted generations of people from all walks of life. As a two-time Sundance film festival director, Porter’s work has been featured on HBO, Netflix, CNN, PBS, MSNBC, MTV Films, and other platforms. She has been recognized with career achievement awards from the Hamptons and Mill Valley Film Festivals, is the recipient of the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards “Impact Award,” and an honoree at the 2022 Gracies Leadership Awards.
In 2022 Porter’s work was highlighted in ESPN’s monumental initiative entitled Fifty/50 which follows the civil rights journey of women across the sports and cultural landscape. The initiative
commemorates the 50th anniversary of the passing of Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational institution that receives federal funding
and gave women the equal opportunity to play. Porter co-directed “37 Words” with Oscar® nominee Nicole Newnham. “37 Words” is a four-part documentary series charting the
spectacular transformation that 37 words have inspired in American culture and the lives of women. “37 Words” premiered June 21 (Parts 1 & 2) and June 28th (Parts 3 & 4) on ESPN.
