Sheryl Lee Ralph Champions Black Women With HIV In Emotional New Hulu Documentary, 'Living Proof'

Sheryl Lee Ralph is bringing her activism and her powerful voice to the forefront again — this time as a producer for Living Proof, a stirring Hulu documentary special that premieres on World AIDS Day, December 1, 2025. Set in Atlanta — a critical epicenter of the Southern HIV crisis — the film spotlights Freda Jones and Kennedi Lowman, co-founders of LOTUS (Loving Ourselves Thru Unity and Strength), a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting Black women living with HIV.

At its heart, Living Proof is both deeply personal and broadly political. Through intimate interviews, community scenes, and activist moments, the documentary unpacks the systemic challenges that Black women with HIV in the South continue to face: from stigma in medical settings to the harsh realities of underfunded public health infrastructure. But while Living Proof confronts these painful truths head-on, it also celebrates resilience. We see the bonds of sisterhood formed in peer-led support groups, the candid discussions around prevention tools like PrEP, and the night-after-night effort to reclaim agency over one’s body, health, and story.

For Ralph, this project is more than a film — it’s a mission. She has called Living Proof “both a love letter and a call to action,” emphasizing that Freda and Kennedi are not simply surviving — they’re leading a movement. Her nonprofit, The DIVA Foundation, helped bring the film to life, and her longtime commitment to HIV education adds a deeply personal layer of purpose to the documentary.

Behind the camera is Zeberiah Newman, the film’s director and an executive producer, who previously created other socially conscious documentary work. Also producing are Michiel Thomas and Norman Lee. Rounding out the creative team, B. Slade, a singer-songwriter, handles both the score and music supervision, giving the film moments of emotional lift and musical reflection that resonate deeply.

Living Proof is a partnership that reaches beyond entertainment. It’s co-produced with ABC Owned Television Stations and receives support from Gilead Sciences — a biopharma company that has long backed HIV work. That collaboration underscores the film’s dual mission: to inform, but also to inspire systemic change.

This isn’t Ralph’s first documentary advocacy project. She previously produced Unexpected, another Hulu short that premiered on World AIDS Day, which focused on young Black mothers living with HIV and offered a raw, hopeful look at activism in marginalized communities. Living Proof builds on that foundation, expanding the conversation to community organizing and long-term survival strategies in a region where the epidemic still carries so many personal and political scars.

As the premiere date approaches, Living Proof is shaping up to be much more than just a documentary special. It promises to be a powerful tribute to Black women’s strength, a demand for greater health equity, and a reminder that visibility can be a form of resistance. For viewers, it’s an opportunity to witness courage, community, and transformation — and for advocates, a timely rallying cry to keep pushing for change.

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