Throughout the month of February, Arizona Public Media (AZPM) honors Black History Month by featuring an extensive lineup of special programming. From history to performing arts to independent film, PBS 6, Ready TV, WORLD, and the UA Channel offer viewers the opportunity to explore the rich, vibrant history, and cultural contributions of African Americans.
Television highlights include:
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana, airing Monday, Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. This special episode includes an 1821 U.S. citizenship certificate for George Barker, a free man of color; an African-American beauty book written by Madam C.J. Walker, the first American female millionaire; and a trip with host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Leila Dunbar to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.
Independent Lens: Through a Lens Darkly & American Denial, “Through a Lens Darkly,” airing Feb 16. At 10 p.m. is the first documentary to explore the role of photography in shaping the identity, aspirations, and social emergence of African Americans from slavery to the present. This episode probes the recesses of American history through images that have been suppressed, forgotten, and lost. “American Denial,” airing Feb 23. at 10 p.m. uses the story of Gunnar Myrdal's 1944 investigation of Jim Crow racism as a springboard to explore the power of unconscious biases and how the ideals of liberty, equality and justice still affect notions of race and class today.
American Masters: August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, airing Feb 23. At 6 p.m. examines the legacy of August Wilson the activist and poet whom some call America’s Shakespeare. Film and theater luminaries such as James Earl Jones, Viola Davis, Phylicia Rashad, Laurence Fishburne, Charles Dutton and others share their stories of the career and life experience of bringing Wilson’s rich theatrical voice to the stage.
Complete Black History Month Programming
PBS 6
Shakespeare Uncovered: Taming of the Shrew_w/M. Freeman – 2/7 @ 3pm
Shakespeare Uncovered: Othello w/David Harewood – 2/7 @ 4pm
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana – 2/9 @ 9pm
Independent Lens: Through a Lens Darkly – 2/16 @ 10pm
Independent Lens: Soul Food Junkies – 2/19 @ 2pm
Independent Lens: American Denial – 2/23 @ 10pm
The Education of Harvey Gantt – 2/24 @ 4am
Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP – 2/26 @ 2pm
ReadyTV
Instruments of Change – 2/1 @ 12pm
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross – 2/3, 2/10, 2/17 @ 10pm
Shakespeare Uncovered: Othello w/David Harewood – 2/7 @ 9pm
Speakeasy: Nile Rodgers w/Valerie Simpson 2/7 @ 10pm
Reason to Dance – 2/8 @ 12pm
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana – 2/9 @ 10pm
Colored Frames – 2/10 @ 12pm
Musical Threads: Expression of a People – 2/15 @ 12pm
American Masters: August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand – 2/21 @ 8pm
Kehinde Wiley: An Economy of Grace – 2/24 @ 12pm
Jesse Owens: American Experience – 2/25 @ 10pm
Speakeasy: Carlos Santana w/Harry Belafonte – 2/28 @ 10pm
UA Channel
Black in Latin America – 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24 @ 6pm
Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP – 2/3 @ 8pm
An Evening w/Valerie Simpson in Honor of Nick Ashford – 2/5 @ 6pm
Richard Pryor: Icon – 2/6 @ 8pm
Abolitionists: American Experience – 2/10, 2/11, 2/12 @ 8pm
An Evening w/Gwen Ifill – 2/12 @ 6pm
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story – 2/13 @ 8pm
Tomlinson Hill – 2/17 @ 8pm
Independent Lens: Through a Lens Darkly– 2/22 @ 8:30pm
Evolution of the Nation of Islam – 2/24 @ 8pm
An Evening w/Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee – 2/26 @ 6pm
Jesse Owens: Enduring Spirit – 2/27 @ 8pm
Wessyngton Plantation: A Family’s Road to Freedom – 2/27 @ 8:30pm
World
Independent Lens: The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil Rights – 2/2 @ 5pm
Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange – 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23 @ 6pm
America Reframed: Our Mockingbird – 2/3 @ 6pm
Reason to Dance – 2/6 @ 4pm
American Masters: Bill T. Jo – 2/6 @ 5pm
The Education of Harvey Gantt – 2/7 @ 11:30am
Independent Lens: More Than a Month – 2/9 @ 5pm
Shakespeare Uncovered: Taming of the Shrew w/M. Freeman – 2/15 @ 7pm
Black KungFu Experience – 2/16 @ 5pm
Independent Lens: The Trials of Muhammad Ali – 2/17 @ 4:30pm
Independent Lens: Through a Lens Darkly – 2/18 @ 5:30pm
Colored Frames – 2/18 @ 7pm
America by the Numbers: Politics of the New South – 2/19 @ 7pm
Instruments of Change – 2/20 @ 7pm
Shakespeare Uncovered: Othello w/David Harewood – 2/22 @ 7pm
American Masters: Sister Tharpe: The Godmother of Rock & Roll – 2/23 @ 5pm
American Masters: August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand – 2/23 @ 6pm
Independent Lens: Spies of Mississippi – 2/24 @ 5pm
Black/White & Brown: Brown Versus the Board of Education – 2/25 @ 7pm
Independent Lens: American Denial – 2/25 @ 6pm
Queen of Swing – 2/27 @ 4pm
*List includes first air only. See online schedule for repeats tv.azpm.org.
Schedule subject to change.
About AZPM
AZPM is a member-supported media organization serving all of Southern Arizona with six public television channels and three radio stations, including PBS 6, PBS Kids and NPR 89.1. AZPM also produces award-winning content from its digital studios on the campus of the University of Arizona and is provided as a community service and educational resource. More information about AZPM, including program schedules and Video-on-Demand offerings, can be found online at azpm.org.
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