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Black History Month Watchlist

PBS NC's 2024 Black History Month Collection graphic featuring key people from the following shows: Gospel, The Sacred Soul of North Carolina, American Masters: Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll, Reel Midwest: Homegrown: Silsilad - Detroit We Dey, Visibly Speaking: Boundless, Finding Your Roots: The Brick Wall Falls, George H. White: Searching for Freedom, Great Performances at the Met X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, American Master: How it Feels to Be Free, Shuttlesworth, Black Issues Forum and Great Performances: The Magic of Spirituals

Why Celebrate Black History Month?

February is Black History Month, a dedicated time to acknowledge and honor the contributions, resilience and cultural richness of the Black community. It provides an opportunity for these stories to take center stage, empowering us to reflect on the impacts and importance of diverse narratives within the Black experience. Take a moment to engage with and explore the achievements and stories of individuals in the Black community who have played a significant role in shaping American culture, politics, art and so much more. 

Watch, learn, appreciate and reflect on the stories that have shaped our collective history on PBS NC and the free PBS App.

Premiering on PBS NC in February

Gospel 

Hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Dig deep into the origin story of Black gospel music, coming out of slavery, blending with the blues tradition, and soaring to new heights during the Great Migration. From Mahalia to Kirk Franklin, in the last century, gospel music has become the dominant form of African American religious expression and provided a soundtrack of healing and uplift to those at the front lines of protest and change.

Watch the 4-part series Gospel Monday, 2/12 and Tuesday, 2/13 at 9 PM on PBS NC. Get early access to episodes only with Passport on Saturday, 2/4. 

Watch Now | Gospel Preview

Finding Your Roots

For more than a decade, renowned Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. has helped to expand America’s sense of itself, stimulating a national conversation about identity with humor, wisdom, and compassion. Professor Gates has explored the ancestry of dozens of influential people from diverse backgrounds, taking millions of viewers deep into the past to reveal the connections that bind us all.

Watch Finding Your Roots Tuesdays at 8 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App

Watch Now | Finding Your Roots | Season 10 Preview

February Episodes

2/6 - Far and Away

Journalist Sunny Hostin and actor Jesse Williams.

2/13 - The Brick Wall Falls

Actor Danielle Brooks and singer Dionne Warwick

2/20 - Mean Streets

Comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Anthony Ramos.

Black Issues Forum

Each week, Black Issues Forum presents a diverse panel of guests who discuss such topics as politics, social concerns, health, education, justice, entertainment, technology and public policy.

In February, host Kenia Thompson explores the impact of gospel music with recording artist Tasha Page-Lockhart and how to make changes on the inside and out with tips from life coaches and stylists. She also meets with an eye-care specialist who explains how our eyes serve as vital indicators of our overall well-being and health. 

Watch Black Issues Forum Fridays at 7 PM on PBS NC and streaming on the PBS App. Be sure to watch on 2/2 for a first look at our redesigned and refreshed studio!

Watch Now | ECSU Takes Flight & the Aggie-Eagle Classic

In this HBCU Week special from September 2023, learn about Elizabeth City State University’s aviation sciences program, the only four-year collegiate aviation education program in North Carolina. And we take a look at the Aggie-Eagle Classic, a legendary college football rivalry that’s all about family.

X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X | Great Performances at the Met

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.

Watch Great Performances at the Met "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X" on the PBS App, starting Sunday, 2/4.

Watch Preview | X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

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.

Watch Shuttlesworth Friday, 2/9 at 3 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App

Watch Now | Shuttlesworth Trailer

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.

Watch How It Feels To Be Free Tuesday, 2/6 at 9 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App.

Watch Now | How It Feels To Be Free

Little Richard: The 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.

Watch Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock 'n' Roll Friday, 2/2 at 9 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App.

Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll

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More from PBS North Carolina

The Sacred Soul of North Carolina

During a marathon recording session in the small town of Fountain, 11 family gospel groups lift their voices and celebrate the sacred soul traditions of Eastern North Carolina.

Watch The Sacred Soul of North Carolina, streaming now on the PBS App

Watch Now | The Sacred Soul of North Carolina

George H. White: Searching for Freedom

Explore the enduring legacy of one of the most significant African American leaders of the Reconstruction Era. Born in 1852 in Eastern North Carolina to a family of turpentine farmers, White rose through the ranks of state politics to serve in the 55th US Congress from 1887 to 1901 as its sole Black voice.

Watch George H. White: Searching for Freedom, Thursday, 2/1 at 10 PM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App

Watch Now | George H. White: Searching for Freedom

Sarah Keys Evans | Here's My Story

Murals in Roanoke Rapids tell how a young Black woman’s refusal to move to the back of the bus in 1952 helped dismantle Jim Crow transportation laws in the South. In Rowan County, audio-enabled benches highlight diverse communities through storytelling and oral histories.

Watch Visibly Speaking "Sarah Keys Evans | Here's My Story," streaming now on the PBS App

Sarah Keys Evans | Here’s My Story

Boundless | El Futuro

Near the end of the Civil War, the United States Colored Troops fought a pivotal battle in Wilmington. Stephen Hayes creates a sculpture to honor their legacy and serve as a touchstone for years to come. Also, Cornelio Campos paints a colorful mural with the Latinx community in Durham to convey their immigrant struggles and hopes for a brighter future.

Watch Visibly Speaking "Boundless | El Futuro," Saturday, 2/3 at 10:30 AM on PBS NC. Watch now on the PBS App

Boundless | El Futuro

Passport Exclusives About Black Performers

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.

Watch The Magic of Spirituals now on the PBS App with Passport

Watch Now | The Magic of Spirituals

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.

Watch Ailey now on the PBS App with Passport

Watch Now | Ailey

In The Making

Follow two performers as they break down barriers in music. Opera singer J’Nai Bridges takes the stage in “A Knee on the Neck,” a choral tribute to George Floyd. Country artist Rissi Palmer redefines success as she works on her latest album, while uplifting other artists of color in the Americana genres.

Watch In The Making now on the PBS App with Passport

Watch Now | In The Making

Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer and virtuoso composer Max Roach, whose far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him.

Watch Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes now on the PBS App with Passport

Watch Now | Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers and critics on an exploration of the powerful themes she confronted throughout her literary career in this artful and intimate meditation that examines the life and work of the legendary storyteller. A film by Timothy Greenfield-Sanders. Photos: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

Watch Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am now on the PBS App with Passport

Watch Now | Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

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