🎬 About the Film

Infertile Ground uncovers how climate change — through air pollution, extreme heat, hurricanes, and contaminated water — is quietly fueling a reproductive crisis in Black communities across the U.S.

From Cancer Alley in Louisiana to heat-stricken cities in the Southwest, from hurricane zones in Miami to water emergencies in Jackson, Mississippi, this film tells the urgent stories of Black people trying to conceive in a world that keeps pushing them out.

A documentary film by Reniqua Allen-Lamphere about climate, fertility, and the fight for Black reproductive justice

What if the greatest threat to your ability to have children… wasn’t in your body, but in your air, your water, and your zip code?

What You’ll See

  • Families in polluted communities trying to conceive

  • Pregnant people left behind during climate disasters

  • Families confronting water contamination and its hidden toll on fertility

  • The failed fights in state and local governments to fund doulas, protect pregnant people, and pass maternal health protections

  • Children born during climate crises now facing lifelong health issues

  • Doulas and midwives stepping in when systems fail

🔬 Why It Matters

  • A 10-degree temperature increase causes 15% more preterm births for Black women — nearly double that of white women

  • Black men are seeing sharp declines in sperm quality due to toxic exposure

  • Black communities are 75% more likely to live near polluting facilities

  • Contaminated water is quietly damaging fertility. Lead and toxins in drinking water — especially in Black communities — are linked to miscarriage, infertility, and poor birth outcomes, yet these consequences are rarely part of the water crisis conversation

This isn’t just a climate issue. It’s a reproductive justice crisis.

Where We Are

We’ve received early support from:
đź–¤ Black Public Media
🌱 The Redford Center

We’re currently in production and seeking support to complete the film.

Support Infertile Ground

Your support helps fund:

  • On-location shoots and interviews in impacted communities

  • Animation to visualize the science and climate data

  • Post-production and editing

  • Community screenings and impact outreach

Want to contribute to this vital story about Black fertility, climate, and justice?

📬 Email us at reniqua@defiantdreamsmedia.com
and we’ll share how you can support or partner with us.

📬 Stay Connected

Be the first to know about screenings, impact campaigns, and behind-the-scenes footage.

➡️ Sign up for updates
➡️ Press & inquiries

📱 Follow Our Journey

Infertile Ground is a project of Defiant Dreams Media, a production company committed to telling urgent, underrepresented stories at the intersection of race, justice, and care.

Follow us on Instagram → @defiantdreamsmedia
Learn more about our work → www.defiantdreamsmedia.com
Hashtag → #InfertileGround