Nov 20, 2009 | WDC: 57.2 °F
Washington’s source for compelling television and inspiring classical music
Black History Month
February 2009
WETA Television celebrates Black History Month with a lineup of nearly 20 television programs that highlight the rich culture and history of African Americans.
Throughout the broadcast year, WETA is committed to presenting programs reflecting the diversity of our community. See below for:
The programs below are listed in order of air date. They will be simulcast on both WETA TV 26 and WETA HD except for the dates marked with an asterisk (*), which indicates the program will only be shown on WETA TV 26.
The Spirituals
Sunday, February 1 at 12:30 pm*
Sunday, February 22 at 10:30 pm
This documentary traces the history of the Spiritual, a uniquely American art form. These folksongs allowed slaves to secretly communicate with each other, giving them the power to console, heal and resist.
American Masters: Sweet Honey in the Rock: Raise Your Voice
Sunday, February 1 at 1:00 pm*
This film spotlights the Washington, D.C.-based a cappella ensemble of six African-American women that has performed for more than 30 years, raising its voices against injustice and melding spirituals, gospel, jazz and other musical traditions.
The Boys of Baraka, A WETA Independent Cut
Sunday, February 1 at 10:30 pm*
This award-winning film follows four African-American boys from Baltimore as they travel to Kenya through an innovative school program designed to help at-risk youths.
Twelve Disciples of Nelson Mandela, A WETA Independent Cut
Sunday, February 1 at 12:00 am*
This film explores the story of the first wave of black South African exiles who told the world about the brutality of Apartheid.
American Masters: Marvin Gaye: What's Going On
Monday, February 2 at 10:00 pm
Tuesday, February 3 at 2:00 pm
The biography series profiles the talented and complicated Motown recording artist and soul/pop performer.
Adjust Your Color: The Truth About Petey Greene, A WETA Independent Cut
Tuesday, February 3 at 10:00 pm
Friday, February 6 at 10:30 pm
America's original shock-jock, Petey Greene overcame poverty, drug addiction and prison time to "tell it like it is" shocking and entertaining everyone from the ghetto to the White House. Narrated by Don Cheadle, this film looks at how Greene unsettled the establishment as he battled both the system and his own demons.
American Experience: Eyes on the Prize
Thursday, February 5 at 3:00 pm*
This acclaimed documentary series examines the history of America's civil rights movement. Julian Bond narrates. Episode 1 & 2 of 2. Awakenings 1954-1956. Individual acts of courage inspire black Southerners to fight for their rights. Fighting Back 1957-1962. States' rights loyalists and federal authorities collide in integration battles in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Thursday, February 5 at 9:00 pm
Friday, February 6 at 1:00 pm
This film directed by Ken Burns and co-produced by WETA chronicles the life and career of the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion, who suffered racially motivated persecution by the U.S. government. Part 1 of 2. Johnson enters the world of professional boxing and in 1908 captures the heavyweight title, setting in motion a worldwide search for a "white hope" to defeat him. In the 1910 "Battle of the Century" that results, Johnson fights ex-title holder Jim Jeffries.
Tulia, Texas, A WETA Independent Cut
Tuesday, February 10 at 10:00 pm
In 1999, undercover narcotics agent Thomas Coleman executed one of the biggest drug stings in Texas history. Coleman and his drug task force arrested 46 Tulia residents — of whom 39 were African American — on charges of suspected drug dealing. This film explores the story of a small town's search for justice and the price Americans pay for the nation's war on drugs.
Looking for Lincoln
Wednesday, February 11 at 9:00 pm
Thursday, February 12 at 1:00 pm
Thursday, February 12 at 3:00 pm (WETA HD only)
Scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. dissects the myths that have grown up around Abraham Lincoln, and in doing so, addresses outstanding questions — about race, equality, religion and depression — by carefully interpreting the evidence provided by people who actually knew the president.
American Experience: Eyes on the Prize
Thursday, February 12 at 3:00 pm*
Episodes 3 & 4 of 6. Ain't Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961. Black college students take a leadership role in the civil rights movement at lunch counter sit-ins and "Freedom Riders" try to desegregate interstate buses. No Easy Walk 1961-1963. The civil rights movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations; the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as the movement's most visible leader and the March on Washington, D.C. proves a success.
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Thursday, February 12 at 9:00 pm
Friday, February 13 at 1:00 pm
Part 2 of 2. Johnson's defeat of Jeffries leaves him atop the boxing world, but the U.S. government sets out to destroy him in the courts, using his sometimes-troubled relationships with white women as an excuse to prosecute him.
An Evening with Quincy Jones
Friday, February 13 at 10:30 pm
This one-hour interview taped in Washington, D.C., with a live audience offers a rare look into the life of music mogul Quincy Jones. Gwen Ifill of WETA interviews Jones and hosts the star-studded evening, which features live performances by Lesley Gore, BeBe Winans, James Ingram, Bobby McFerrin and Herbie Hancock.
Simon Schama's Rough Crossings
Tuesday, February 17 at 1:00 pm*
Tuesday, February 17 at 10:00 pm
Friday, February 20 at 3:00 pm
At the end of the American Revolution, slaves were offered freedom in return for service to the British. Using journals and diaries, writer-narrator Simon Schama follows the story of slaves' resettlement first in Nova Scotia and then Sierra Leone, where dreams of a haven came to a tragic end.
American Experience: Eyes on the Prize
Thursday, February 19 at 3:00 pm*
Episodes 5 & 6 of 6. Mississippi: Is This America? 1963-1964. Mississippi's grass-roots civil rights movement becomes a nationwide concern when three college students helping to register black voters are murdered. Bridge to Freedom 1965. A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A major victory is won when the federal Voting Rights Bill passes, but new challenges await.
An Evening with Eartha Kitt
Friday, February 20 at 10:30 pm
In a lively and playful interview, WETA's Gwen Ifill talks with legendary performer Eartha Kitt about her stage, dance and acting career. Kitt closes the program by singing "Ain't Misbehavin'," "La Vie En Rose" and "Here's to Life."
African American Lives
Sunday, February 22 at 11:00 am
Harvard African-American Studies scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. uses genealogy and DNA science to tell the story of eight accomplished African Americans — including Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones — tracing their roots through American history and back to Africa. Episode 1 of 2. Listening to Our Past/The Promise of Freedom. In tracing the family histories of the program participants, Gates explores the post-World War I "Great Migration" of African-American families to northern cities and examines Jim Crow segregation in the South; in the second hour, Gates explores how African Americans defined their freedom after slavery.
African American Lives
Sunday, February 22 at 1:00 pm
Episode 2 of 2. Searching for Our Names/Beyond the Middle Passage. Dr. Gates finds genealogical research more challenging as he works back from the Civil War through the Colonial period of American history, searching war records and property inventories; exhausting the paper trail, Gates visits West Africa after consulting with scientists who are using DNA analysis to trace ancestral roots.
African American Lives 2
Sunday, February 22 at 3:00 pm
This genealogy special journeys deep into the African-American experience to unearth the family histories of an all-new group of participants. Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. returns as series host. Episode 1 of 2. The Road Home/A Way Out of No Way. The first hour focuses on 20th century, including the tragic fate of Tom Joyner's great-uncles, and Bliss Broyard's discovery about the identity of her father — at the time of his death. Then Gates continues to trace the guests' lineages back through the late 1800s to the Civil War.
African American Lives 2
Sunday, February 22 at 5:00 pm
Episode 2 of 2. We Come From People/The Past is Another Country. The program reveals stories of participants' ancestors during the early years of the United States, including a riveting account of life in slavery by Morgan Freeman's great-grandmother, unearthed within the records of the Depression-era Works Progress Administration, and Peter Gomes' ancestors, who were freed and supported by Quaker families in Virginia in the late 1700s. The final hour presents discoveries about participants' lineages, thanks to DNA analysis.
Revolution '67
Sunday, February 22 at 12:00 am*
This film recounts the black urban rebellions of the 1960s, focusing on a six-day Newark, New Jersey, outbreak and examining how the disturbance ended as a fateful milestone in America's struggles over race and economic justice.
History Detectives
Monday, February 23 at 10:00 pm
Tuesday, February 24 at 2:00 pm
This special edition features the history sleuths exploring a slave songbook from 1867 that may be the first collection of African-American spirituals — some of which are performed in the program by the Howard University Choir; examining an acoustic guitar said to have been owned by legendary African-American folk singer Josh White; and investigating the 1973 origins of Hip Hop music in New York City.
The Order of Myths, A WETA Independent Cut
Tuesday, February 24 at 10:00 pm
At America's oldest Mardi Gras — celebrated each year in Mobile, Alabama — events remain segregated between white and black residents. The Order of Myths looks beneath the surface of pageantry and reveals a complex story about race relations in America. Another short film, Bi-Racial Hair, offers a satirical look at the racial tension young African Americans of mixed ethnic backgrounds experience.
Prince Among Slaves
Thursday, February 26 at 10:30 pm
This film relates the forgotten true story of an African prince who was enslaved in Mississippi for 40 years before finally achieving freedom and becoming one of the most famous men in America.
Banished, A WETA Independent Cut
Friday, February 27 at 10:30 pm
This documentary film relates the story of three counties that forcefully banished African-American families from their towns 100 years ago — and follows the descendants who return to learn a shocking history.
Community resources
Advocacy
- ACLU
- Institute for Black Charities
- Black Women and Sisterhood for Action
- Concerned Black Men
- Washington Area Urban League
- NAACP
- National Black Chamber of Commerce
- National Coalition of 100 Black Women
- National Council of Negro Women
- United Black Fund
- United Negro College Fund
Arts
- African American Civil War Memorial
- African American Heritage Park
- Alexandria Black History Museum
- Anacostia Community Museum
- Association for the Study of African American Life & History
- Blacks In Wax Museum
- The Dance Place
- Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site
- Sandy Spring Museum and Slave Quarters
- Duke Ellington's Washington - D.C. History
- Thurgood Marshall Center
Children/Family
Education
- Black Student Fund
- Cultural Tourism D.C.
- Frederick Douglas Home
- George Washington's Mt. Vernon Estate and Gardens
- Howard University Bookstore
- Mary McLeod Bethune House
- Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
- National Archives
- Sister Space and Books
- Watson Reading Room
- Moorland-Spingarn Research Center
- African American Ancestry
Fraternities and Sororities
- Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
- Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
- Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
- Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority
- Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
- Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
- Iota Phi Theta Fraternity
- Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity
- Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Health
- Black Nurses Association of Washington D.C.
- Community Family Life Services
- Healthy Babies Project
- National Association of Black Psychologists
- National Minority Aids Council
- Office of Minority Health
- Whitman-Walker Clinic
Media
- National Association of Black Journalists
- Afro-American Newspaper
- Washington Informer
- African American Times
- Sister 2 Sister
Books
- Alford, Terry. Prince among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold Into Slavery in the American South.
- Franklin, John Hope. The Emancipation Proclamation.
- Hampton, Henry. Voices of Freedom.
- Johnson, James Weldon. The Books of the American Negro Spirituals.
- Kunhardt, Philip B. Looking for Lincoln.
- Mandela, Nelson. The Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela.
- Morris, Aldon D. Origins of the Civil Rights Movement.
- Ronnell, Brad B. No Longer Slaves.
- Rose, James M. Black Genisis: A Resource Book for African American Genealogy.
- Sampson, Anthony. Mandela.
- Ward, Geoffrey C. Unforgivable Blackness.
- Williams, Juan. Eyes On The Prize: America's Civil Rights Years 1954-1965.
- Williams, Juan. Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary.
Watch online
Enjoy the following video segments previously produced by WETA Television. Just click below to watch online.
Alexandria Black History Museum
From slavery in the 18th century through the Civil Rights Movement of the 20th century, the Alexandria Black History Museum illuminates the African American experience in Alexandria, Virginia, throughout the city's 250 year history. The museum also serves as a popular arts venue and gathering spot for Alexandria's black community.
History of Anacostia
Originally known as Uniontown, what is now Anacostia was the first planned suburb of Washington City. WETA explores the community's history from its beginning in the 1850s and reflects on how the area has changed over the past 50 years with longtime resident Gloria Whitfield.
Keeping the Faith
Religious institutions provide a cornerstone for many communities. In the Anacostia neighborhood there are several such cornerstones. WETA shares how residents are keeping the faith -- whether singing praise at a traditional gospel Mass or reaching out to those in need with an Imam from a local mosque.
Life Pieces to Masterpieces
Every day after school, boys and young men living in Anacostia's low-income and public housing produce some of the city's most unique art. WETA visits the Life Pieces to Masterpieces program in Lincoln Heights and shows how it is helping young people turn their challenges into possibilities through artistic expression.
Neighbors, Inc.
Shepherd Park was one of the Districts' first truly integrated neighborhoods, largely because of a group of citizens called Neighbors, Incorporated. In the late 1950s, this group of black and white residents came together to fight unfair housing practices and to promote integration. They are still an active part of Shepherd Park today.
Dr. Dorothy Haight
Civil Rights advocate and Southwest resident Dr. Dorothy Haight exemplifies the important leadership role of women in the Civil Rights Movement. We sit down and talk with this local legend who worked closely with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and who has met with U.S. presidents from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush.
Anna J. Cooper House
Having lived to be 106 years old, Dr. Anna J. Cooper witnessed the death of slavery, and became the fourth African American woman to earn a doctorate degree. Brian Brown is restoring the Anna J. Cooper House to resemble its appearance around 1900.
Duke Ellington's DC
In the early 20th century, Shaw was known as "Black Broadway" and the home of jazz legend Duke Ellington. WETA examines the Duke's Shaw and the area's recent renewal.
LeDroit Park
Originally developed in 1873, the gated "Whites only" community of LeDroit Park was a high-end romantic suburb. After the gates came down, it was a haven for Howard University scholars, literary figures and civil rights leaders such as Mary Church Terrell.
The Barbershop
Frank Love has been cutting hair at Greg's Barbershop since 1959. Now Love, community storyteller and historian, gives us a view of Shaw as seen by one of the long-time businesses at the heart of the neighborhood, his barbershop.
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