Black History Month
Year-round, NMPBS presents a cross-section of stories exploring the lives, culture and history of African Americans. In celebration of Black History Month, NMPBS highlights new programs, series and special encores below.
Popular Series
Gospel
GOSPEL, the latest history series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song.
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World
Chuck D of Public Enemy explores Hip Hop’s political awakening over the last 50 years. With a host of rap stars and cultural commentators he tracks Hip Hop’s socially conscious roots.
Finding Your Roots
Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for a new season. Using genealogical detective work and cutting-edge DNA analysis, Gates guides twenty-one influential guests deep into the branches of their family trees, revealing surprising stories of forgotten ancestors that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine
A four-part series hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., that chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people—beyond the reach of the “White gaze.” Professor Gates sits with noted scholars, politicians, cultural leaders, and old friends to discuss this world behind the color line and what it looks like today.
THE BLACK CHURCH: This is Our Story, This is Our Song
Retrace the 400-year-old-story of the Black church in America with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., exploring its role as the site of African American organizing, resilience, autonomy, freedom and solidarity.
America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston
America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston returns with a brand-new season as the best-selling writer, podcaster and comedian travels the country to uncover our complex relationship with the outdoors. From biologists saving snapping turtles to BIPOC mountain bikers, Baratunde meets a fascinating cast of characters with one thing in common: a passion for being outside.
The Long Song
In early 1800s Jamaica, Caroline adopts the child slave July as her maid. July grows up to witness the Christmas Rebellion and the radical transformation of her world.
Our Time
Despite deep polarization in the U.S., young people are making their voices and values heard. From the thousands of students transformed by recent school shootings to those pushing the legislative needle on political reform, young Americans are articulating a proactive vision for their futures. Our Time is a series produced by youth in partnership with professional documentary filmmakers.
Ken Burns' Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali brings to life one of the most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans across the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it.
Programs and Specials
Independent Lens "Racist Trees"
Were trees intentionally planted to exclude and segregate a Black neighborhood? Racial tensions ignite in this documentary, when a historically Black neighborhood in Palm Springs, California, fights to remove a towering wall of tamarisk trees. The trees form a barrier, believed by some to segregate the community, frustrating residents who regard them as an enduring symbol of racism.
Shuttlesworth
Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth was raised in the crucible of segregated Birmingham but he was forged by its attempt to kill him. When the KKK planted a bomb underneath his bed and he emerged unharmed, he was sure he was saved by God to lead a Movement. His work not only ended legal segregation but lead directly to the Civil and Voting Rights Acts - and inspired freedom movements around the world.
The Dream Whisperer
In the midst of segregation, the all-Black Tennessee A&I Tigers made history by winning three straight national championships. Captain Dick Barnett fought to secure recognition for his team. In 2019, their induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame marked the victory of his persistence. Discover their triumph over adversity and Barnett's relentless effort to preserve their legacy.
Independent Lens “Breaking the News"
A scrappy group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists buck the white male-dominated status quo to launch news startup The 19th*.
Great Performances “X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X"
Experience Anthony Davis’s groundbreaking opera directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara. The new staging portrays Malcolm as an Everyman whose story transcends time and space. Supported by a cast of young Met stars, Will Liverman sings Malcolm X.
Independent Lens “Razing Liberty Square"
Liberty City, Miami, is home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the U.S. Now with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold. Wealthy property owners push inland to higher ground, creating a speculators’ market in the historically Black neighborhood previously ignored by developers and policy-makers alike.
NOVA “Lee and Liza's Family Tree"
With the help of scientists and genealogists, filmmaker Byron Hurt and his family members search for their ancestors. Follow their journey as they hunt for new details of a history long obscured by the enduring legacy of slavery.
American Masters “Basquiat: Rage to Riches"
One of the most influential American artists of the 20th century, Jean-Michel Basquiat was a rock star of the early ’80s New York art scene.
American Experience “Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming A Space"
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.
America ReFramed "The Cost of Inheritance"
Wade into the rich soil of Pahokee, Florida, a town on the banks of Lake Okeechobee. Beyond its football legacy, including sending over a dozen players to the NFL (like Anquan Boldin, Fred Taylor, and Rickey Jackson), the fiercely self-determined community tells their stories of Black achievement and resilience in the face of tragic storms and personal trauma.
A Symphony Celebration: The Blind Boys of Alabama
A truly unique television program bringing together songs performed by musical legends The Blind Boys of Alabama and a full symphony orchestra. Throughout the program, a documentary storytelling thread uses small vignettes to connect the artists and their songs. Beautifully orchestrated and conducted by Dr. Henry Panion III, A SYMPHONY CELEBRATION focuses on messages of humanity, peace and love.
American Masters “Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll"
Experience the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of Little Richard. This portrait of the “King and Queen of Rock and Roll” explores his far-reaching influence as well as his advocacy for the rights of Black artists in the music industry.
America ReFramed "Big Chief, Black Hawk"
Big Chief Tee is a high school senior and the youngest Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief in New Orleans. During COVID-19, he and the Black Hawk Hunters navigate the impacts of gentrification and systemic racism on their annual masking tradition. Through haute couture, movement, and words, BIG CHIEF, BLACK HAWK celebrates the beauty and resilience of “the culture” even in the face of crisis and change.
Black Broadway: A Proud History, A Limitless Future
Discover the legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey whose dances center on the Black American experience with grace, strength and beauty. Featuring previously unheard audio interviews with Ailey, interviews with those close to him and an intimate glimpse into the Ailey studios today.
Great Performances “The Magic of Spirituals"
Glimpse behind the curtain at opera legends Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman’s famed concert at Carnegie Hall on March 18, 1990, featuring performance clips and new interviews with opera star Angel Blue, Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb and more.
Independent Lens “Outta the Muck"
Wade into the rich soil of Pahokee, Florida, a town on the banks of Lake Okeechobee. Beyond its football legacy, including sending over a dozen players to the NFL (like Anquan Boldin, Fred Taylor, and Rickey Jackson), the fiercely self-determined community tells their stories of Black achievement and resilience in the face of tragic storms and personal trauma.
NOVA “Star Chasers of Senegal"
A NASA spacecraft named Lucy blasts off from Cape Canaveral on a mission to the Trojans, a group of asteroids over 400 million miles from Earth thought to hold important clues about the origins of our solar system. Just hours before, in Senegal, West Africa, a team of scientists sets out to capture extraordinarily precise observations vital to the success of the Lucy mission.
Independent Lens “The Picture Taker"
The vibrant life of Ernest Withers—civil rights photographer, and FBI informant—was anything but black and white. From his Memphis studio, Withers' nearly 2 million images were a treasured record of Black history but his legacy was complicated by decades of secret FBI service revealed only after his death. Was he a friend of the civil rights community, or enemy—or both?
American Masters “How It Feels To Be Free”
A documentary that tells the inspiring story of how six iconic African American women entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
Independent Lens “The Big Payback”
An Evanston, Illinois rookie alderwoman led the passage of the first tax-funded reparations bill for Black Americans. While she and her community struggle with the burden to make restitution for its citizens, a national racial crisis engulfs the country. Will the debt ever be addressed, or is it too late for a reparations movement to finally get the big payback?
Next at the Kennedy Center “The Roots Residency”
Hip Hop legends The Roots give an electrifying performance during their residency at the Kennedy Center. Beyond the stage, the band endeavors to inspire others and explore the depths of their creative potential.
Becoming Frederick Douglass
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.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
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.
American Masters "Ailey"
Discover the legendary choreographer Alvin Ailey whose dances center on the Black American experience with grace, strength and beauty. Featuring previously unheard audio interviews with Ailey, interviews with those close to him and an intimate glimpse into the Ailey studios today.
American Masters “Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands”
Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department.
American Masters "Roberta Flack"
American Masters: Roberta Flack follows the music icon from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. From “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to “Killing Me Softly,” Flack’s virtuosity was inseparable from her commitment to civil rights. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack’s archives and interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Peabo Bryson and more.
Sam Cooke: Legend
This Grammy-winning film documents the rise of soul music legend Sam Cooke, from his beginnings as a gospel singer to his crossover to the pop and R&B charts. An exploration of more than just his music alone, the biography also looks at Cooke’s personal life and his role as a civil rights activist.
Independent Lens "Owned: A Tale of Two Americas"
Is the "American Dream" of home ownership a false promise? While the government’s postwar housing policy created the world’s largest middle class, it also set America on two divergent paths – one of perceived wealth and the other of systematically defunded, segregated communities.
In Their Own Words: Chuck Berry
Take a riveting ride on the Chuck Berry train exploring the life, the legend, the music, and the man who is regularly credited as the father of rock and roll. We will meet the family who loved him, the players who were there for the rise, and the stars who bow to his inspiration and credit him for their own success.
American Experience “The American Diplomat”
Discover how three Black diplomats broke racial barriers at the US State Department during the Cold War. Asked to represent the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home, they left a lasting impact on the Foreign Service.
Fannie Lou Hammer’s America: An America Reframed Special
Explore and celebrate the life of a fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights activist and the injustices in America that made her work essential.
NOVA "Forgotten Genius"
The grandson of Alabama slaves, Percy Julian met with every possible barrier in a deeply segregated America. He was a man of genius, devotion, and determination. As a black man he was also an outsider, fighting to make a place for himself in a profession and country divided by bigotry—a man who would eventually find freedom in the laboratory.
Just a Mortal Man: The Jerry Lawson Story
A candid, intimate portrait of the inimitable Jerry Lawson (white shirt, above)—who fronted the greatest a cappella group in history, The Persuasions. Jerry’s incredible talent and innovation in contemporary a cappella music has inspired young vocalists around the globe and brought joy to countless fans. Still, there is much more to this man than his music.
American Masters "Miles Davis"
Discover the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.
Fannie Lou Hamer: Stand Up
Civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer is remembered by those who worked side by side with her in the struggle for voting rights. An African-American sharecropper from the Mississippi Delta, Hamer’s difficulty registering to vote in 1962 led to her career as an outspoken activist, congressional candidate, and fierce fighter for the rights of all.
The Central Park Five
This film from award-winning filmmaker Ken Burns tells the story of the five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park in 1989. The film chronicles the Central Park jogger case, for the first time from the perspective of the five young men whose lives were upended by this miscarriage of justice.
American Experience "Voice of Freedom"
Explore the fascinating life of celebrated singer Marian Anderson. On Easter Sun., 1939, Anderson, hailed as a voice that “comes around once in a hundred years” by maestros in Europe, triumphed at the Lincoln Memorial in what became a landmark moment in American history.
American Experience "Goin' Back to T-Town"
Revisit Greenwood, a Black community in Tulsa. Torn apart in 1921 by a racially- motivated massacre, the neighborhood rose again, but could not survive integration and urban renewal. A bittersweet portrait of small-town life told by those who lived it.
Beyond the Baton - A Conductor’s Journey
Born to a single mother on welfare, Thomas Wilkins grew up to become one of the few remarkable African American conductors leading a major orchestra - the celebrated Omaha Symphony. This hour-long film that documents Wilkins' experience as a Black conductor and his larger impact on the musical world.
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America
Discover how the advent of the automobile brought new freedoms and new perils for African Americans on the road in this deep look into the dynamics of race, space and mobility in America over time.
American Experience “Riveted: The History of Jeans”
Discover the fascinating and surprising story of this iconic American garment, from its roots in slavery to the Wild West, and beyond. The story of jeans usually begins with Levi Strauss, hut half a century earlier, enslaved people in the American South were wearing a precursor of denim made from a coarse textile known as “slave cloth.”
Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes
An intimate portrait of the quiet genius who speaks with his music, and who brought the upright bass out from the background into the spotlight.
Resources and Activities for Teaching Your Children About Black History Month
February is Black History Month — and it’s never too early to begin celebrating and teaching your child about Black leaders of yesterday (and today!). As you begin exploring the Black scientists, politicians, activists, artists, and more who have left their mark on U.S. history, encourage your child’s curiosity about the contributions and accomplishments of Black people.