In February we celebrate Black History Month and recognize the central role of blacks in U.S. history. Below are programs that highlight African American musicians and programs that tell the stories and history of many black citizens throughout the years.
Fannie Lou Hamer - Stand Up
Sunday, February 9 at 6:30 PM
Examine the life of civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer, offering first-hand accounts by those who knew her and worked side by side with her in the struggle for voting rights.
Independent Lens | Cooked: Survival by Zip Code
Monday, February 10 at 11:00 PM
In July 1995, a heat wave overtook Chicago: high humidty and a layer of heat-retaining pollution drove the heat index up to more than 126 degrees. City roads buckled, rails warped, electric grids failed, thousands became ill and people began to die - by the hundreds. Cooked tells the story of this heat wave, the most traumatic in U.S. history, in which 739 Chicago citizens died in a single week, most of them poor, elderly, and African American.
American Experience | The Fight
Tuesday, February 11 at 9:00 PM
June 22, 1938. Though the Great Depression rages and war looms, the eyes of the world are on Yankee Stadium in New York where, beneath threatening skies, German Max Schmelin and American Joe Louis are squaring off for the heavyweight championship of the world. The Fight explores the famous 1938 heavyweight bout and finds two men who, in the shadow of war, became reluctant symbols of equality and supremacy, democracy and fascism.
Singular
Sunday, February 16 at 6:00 PM on WPBT
A film about Miami born, Haitian American jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant. Cecile is considered the greatest jazz singer of the 21st Century, having won the last threeGrammys for jazz vocals.
Independent Lens | Always In Season
Monday, February 24 at 10:00 PM
Blending observational footage with first-person testimonies and expert insights, this is the first documentary feature film to spotlight recent grassroots efforts to acknowledge the victims of lynching, repair the damage, reconcile in four U.S. communities.
American Masters | Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Tuesday, February 25th at 9:00 PM
Taking a hard look at the mythology that surrounds the legend, Davis is widely regarded as one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in music. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from this recording sessions, rare photos and new interview. Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter, and Davis'son Erin Davis are just a few of the luminaries weighing in on the life and career of the cultural icon.