All programs listed below will be airing on WETA World. Check the schedule for additional information.
Great Migrations: A People on the Move
Saturday, February 1
Great Migrations: A People on the Move explores the transformative impact of Black migration on American culture and society. From the waves of Black Americans to the North—and back South—over the last century to the growing number of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean today, the film shows how movement is a defining feature of the Black experience.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
Saturday, February 1
Go beyond the legend and meet the inspiring woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery. Born 200 years ago in Maryland, Harriet Tubman was a conductor of the Underground Railroad, a Civil War scout, nurse and spy, and one of the greatest freedom fighters in our nation’s history.
The Legacy of Black Horsemen
Sunday, February 2
An exploration of the contributions of Black jockeys, trainers, owners, grooms and exercise riders in the 1800s and their impact on the thoroughbred industry in America.
Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask
Monday, February 3
The documentary Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask explores the life and legacy of the first African American to achieve national fame as a writer. Born to former slaves in Dayton, Ohio, Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906) is best remembered for his poem "We Wear the Mask" and for lines from "Sympathy," which inspired the title of Maya Angelou's famous autobiography "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings." Dunbar's story mirrors the African American experience around the turn of the century.
Eyes on the Prize
Thursday, February 6
Eyes on the Prize tells the definitive story of the civil rights era from the point of view of the ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of American life, and embodied a struggle whose reverberations continue to be felt today. Narrated by political leader and civil rights activist Julian Bond (1940-2015).
Never Drop the Ball
Friday, February 7
Never Drop the Ball explores the extraordinary journey Black baseball players went through during six decades of exclusion from Major League Baseball before Jackie Robinson’s success in 1947. During this era, Black ball players' unwavering love for the game led them to form leagues of their own, such as the Negro Major League and the Negro American League.
Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley
Friday, February 7
Gifted football star Marion Motley was one of pro football’s first black players. In 1946, Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This production tells the Ohio native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice
Friday, February 7
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice explores the collective experiences of 18 African-American Olympians who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. Set against the strained and turbulent atmosphere of a racially divided America, which was torn between boycotting Hitler’s Olympics or participating in the Third Reich’s grandest affair, the film follows 16 men and two women before, during, and after their heroic turn of events at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin.
Becoming Frederick Douglass
Saturday, February 8
Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most influential voices for democracy in American history. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson explores the role Douglass played in securing the right to freedom for African Americans.
Freedom House Ambulance: First Responders
Sunday, February 9
In 1967, inner city Pittsburgh produced America’s first EMT service. Comprised solely of Black men and women recruited from the city’s Hill District neighborhood, the paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital and CPR care.
Becoming Bell Hooks
Friday, February 14
Explore the life and legacy of Kentucky-born author bell hooks, who wrote nearly 40 books and whose work on race, gender, class, and love helped redefine the feminist movement, making it more universal for all. The documentary features selections read by Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer and interviews with feminist activist Gloria Steinem, writers Crystal Wilkinson and Silas House, bell's younger sister Gwenda Motley, and many others.
American Experience: Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space
Friday, February 14
Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also a trained anthropologist, Zora Neale Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean — reclaiming, honoring and celebrating Black life on its own terms.
100 Years from Mississippi
Saturday, February 15
Mamie Lang Kirkland was seven years old when she fled Ellisville, Mississippi in 1915 with her mother and siblings as her father and his friend escaped an approaching lynch mob. Mamie had vowed for a century that she would never return to Mississippi. Yet at the urging of her son Tarabu, she finally confronted her childhood trauma by returning to Ellisville.
Journeys of Black Mathematicians
Tuesday, February 18
Journeys of Black Mathematicians follows the stories of prominent pioneers, illustrating the challenges they faced and how their triumphs are reflected in the experiences of today's mid-career Black mathematicians.
Uprooted
Wednesday, February 19
n the 1960s, residents wanted a thriving Black neighborhood in Newport News, Virginia, to keep growing. White city leaders wanted that land for a new college. Only one side had the power of eminent domain. The Johnsons, one of the last families in the neighborhood, tell the nearly forgotten story of a college expansion like the ones that broke up Black communities across Virginia and the country.
American Masters: The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Sunday, February 23
Learn about jazz virtuoso and screen superstar Hazel Scott, the first Black American to have their own television show. An early civil rights pioneer, she faced down the Red Scare at the risk of losing her career and was a champion for equality. The film features interviews with Mickey Guyton, Tracie Thoms, Amanda Seales, and Sheryl Lee Ralph as the voice of Hazel Scott.
Religion, Racism & Reconciliation
Monday, February 24
Religion, Racism & Reconciliation explores how racism is intertwined with American religion. It follows the stories of individuals and communities of faith who are engaged in addressing the issues of systemic racism, such as voting rights, income inequality, and mass incarceration.
Battlegrounds: The Lost Community of Fazendeville
Tuesday, February 25
An emotionally harrowing story of a unique, long-established Black neighborhood in New Orleans that was razed during the Civil Rights struggles more than 60 years ago.
Independent Lens: Bike Vessel
Wednesday, February 26
Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.
Talking Black in America: Social Justice
Thursday, February 27
Talking Black in America: Social Justice reveals linguistic discrimination on Black Language speakers in education, work, housing, and more while also celebrating the cultural impact Black Language has had on America and the world.
American Experience: Forgotten Hero: Walter White and The NAACP
Friday, February 28
Meet Walter White, the NAACP’s longtime leader and one of the most influential but least known figures in civil rights history. Under his leadership, the NAACP paved the way for Black power at the ballot box and scored important legal victories.