American Experience

The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

1h 52m

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.

Episodes

The Blinding of Isaac Woodard, Spanish

S33 E42 - 1h 52m

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.
The Codebreaker, Spanish

S33 E41 - 52m 51s

Based on the book The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, The Codebreaker reveals the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst whose painstaking work to decode thousands of messages for the U.S. government.
The Blinding of Isaac Woodard

S33 E3 - 1h 52m

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.
Voice of Freedom

S33 E2 - 1h 40m

On Easter Sunday, 1939, contralto Marian Anderson stepped up to a microphone in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Inscribed on the walls of the monument behind her were the words “all men are created equal.”
Goin' Back to T-Town

S33 E2 - 53m 28s

Goin’ Back to T-Town tells the story of Greenwood, an extraordinary Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that prospered during the 1920s and 30s despite rampant and hostile segregation. Torn apart in 1921 by one of the worst racially-motivated massacres in the nation’s history, the neighborhood rose from the ashes, and by 1936 boasted the largest concentration of Black-owned businesses in the U.S.
The Codebreaker

S33 E1 - 52m 49s

Based on the book The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America's Enemies, The Codebreaker reveals the fascinating story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the groundbreaking cryptanalyst whose painstaking work to decode thousands of messages for the U.S. government.

Extras + Features

Trailer | American Oz

S33 E4 - 30s

By 1900, when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published, L. Frank Baum was 44 years old and had spent much of his life in restless pursuit of success.
Matilda Joslyn Gage

S33 E4 - 1m 15s

Matilda Joslyn Gage cofounded the National Woman Suffrage Association with Susan B. Anthony. Matilda’s daughter, Maud Gage married L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Extended Trailer | American Oz

S33 E4 - 1m 50s

Explore the life and times of author L. Frank Baum, the creator of one of the most beloved, enduring and classic American narratives. By 1900, when The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published, Baum was 44 years old and had spent much of his life in restless pursuit of success.
L. Frank Baum

S33 E4 - 1m 15s

L. Frank Baum was an American actor, businessman and writer. He published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900 that became a best-seller, a theater smash hit and a film classic.
Trailer | Blinding of Isaac Woodard | American Experience

S33 E3 - 30s

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.
Extended Trailer | Blinding of Isaac Woodard

S33 E3 - 2m

In 1946, Isaac Woodard, a Black army sergeant on his way home to South Carolina after serving in WWII, was pulled from a bus for arguing with the driver. The local chief of police savagely beat him, leaving him unconscious and permanently blind.
Isaac Woodard

S33 E3 - 1m 4s

Isaac Woodard entered the military in 1942 and served in the 429th Port Battalion as a longshoreman. After the war, he was honorably discharged on February 12, 1946 and headed home.
Judge Julius Waties Waring

S33 E3 - 1m 7s

Julius Waties Waring presided over the trial of a white police chief who brutally beat and blinded Black soldier Isaac Woodard in 1946. He became an unexpected civil rights champion with rulings on several pivotal cases in the 1940s.
Trailer | Goin’ Back to T-Town | American Experience

S33 E2 - 30s

The story of Greenwood, an extraordinary Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that prospered during the 1920s and 30s despite rampant and hostile segregation. Torn apart in 1921 by one of the worst racially-motivated massacres in the nation’s history, the neighborhood rose from the ashes.
Greenwood

S33 E2 - 1m 19s

In the early 1900s, a group of black businessmen purchased land in the northeast section of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They called their community Greenwood.
Chapter 1 | Goin' Back To T-Town

S33 E2 - 8m 29s

The story of Greenwood, an extraordinary Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that prospered during the 1920s and 30s despite rampant and hostile segregation.
Extended Trailer | Voice of Freedom | American Experience

S33 E2 - 1m 40s

Hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe and widely celebrated by both white and black audiences at home, Marian Anderson's fame hadn’t been enough to spare her from the indignities and outright violence of racism and segregation.

Schedule

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American Experience

Chasing the Moon: A Place Beyond the Sky

Tuesday
Apr 13

3:00 pm

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2 Hours

Tracking the early years of the space race, beginning in 1957, as the U.S. struggles to catch up with the Soviet Union.
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American Experience

Chasing the Moon: Earthrise

Wednesday
Apr 14

3:00 pm

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2 Hours

Exploring four dangerous years in the history of the space race, from 1964-1968, including the Apollo 1 and Apollo 8 missions.
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American Experience

Chasing the Moon: Magnificent Desolation

Thursday
Apr 15

3:00 pm

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2 Hours

The years 1969-1970 take Americans to the moon and back; what happens to scientific and engineering programs after national goals are achieved.
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American Experience

American OZ

Monday
Apr 19

10:00 pm

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2 Hours

The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.
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American Experience

American OZ

Tuesday
Apr 20

3:30 am

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2 Hours

The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.
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American Experience

American OZ

Saturday
Apr 24

9:00 pm

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2 Hours

The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.
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American Experience

American OZ

Sunday
Apr 25

1:00 am

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2 Hours

The life of author L. Frank Baum, creator of the classic novel "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which has inspired films, books and musicals.

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