AZPM Celebrates Black History Month this February

TUCSON, AZ - JANUARY 20, 2017 - Throughout February, Arizona Public Media celebrates Black History Month by featuring an extensive lineup of special programming. From compelling stories to performing arts to independent film, PBS 6 and Ready/WORLD, offer viewers the opportunity to explore the rich, vibrant history as well as the political, scientific, social and cultural contributions of African Americans.

Television highlights include:

RED denotes “new” program.
Full schedules are available online.
List includes first air only. See schedule for repeats tv.azpm.org.

Independent Lens: Birth of a Movement
(PBS 6: Monday, February 6 at 10 p.m.)
(READY/WORLD: Wednesday, February 8 at 6 p.m.)
Learn how D.W. Griffith's 1915 The Birth of a Nation unleashed a battle still waging today about race relations and representation, and the power and influence of Hollywood. Featuring Spike Lee, Reginald Hudlin, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and others.

Black Women in Medicine
(READY/WORLD: Wednesday, February 8 at 7 p.m.)
BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE honors black female doctors around the country who work diligently in all facets of medicine. Through first-hand accounts from a cross-selection of black female pioneers in medicine and healthcare-including Dr. Claudia Thomas, the first black woman orthopedic surgeon and Dr. Jocelyn Elders, the first black woman to hold the position of United States Surgeon General-the program details the challenges these women have experienced and continue to face today in their drive to practice medicine. The documentary brings the inspiring stories of these trailblazing women within reach of those who most need to hear them, especially the next generation of medical professionals. By combining historical context with a look at the current generation coming up through the ranks, BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE chronicles stories of excellence and perseverance that engage, encourage and motivate, planting seeds of aspiration in the minds of future doctors.

Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song
(READY/WORLD: Saturday, February 11 at 2 p.m.)
(PBS 6: Saturday, February 11 at 11 p.m.)
Join host Samuel L. Jackson for an all-star tribute to singer and songwriter Smokey Robinson, the 2016 recipient of the Gershwin Prize, with a special appearance by Berry Gordy, founder of Motown.

Jackie Robinson
(PBS 6: Sunday, February 12 at 1 p.m.)
Robinson rises from humble origins to integrate Major League Baseball, performing brilliantly despite the threats and abuse he faces on and off the field and, in the process, challenges the prejudiced notions of what a black man can achieve.

John Lewis – Get in the Way
(PBS 6: Sunday, February 12 at 5 p.m.)
Follow the journey of civil rights hero, congressman and human rights champion John Lewis. At the Selma March, Lewis came face-to-face with club-wielding troopers and exemplified non-violence. Now 76, he is considered the conscience of Congress.

INDEPENDENT LENS: Accidental Courtesy
(PBS 6: Monday, February 13 at 10 p.m.)
(READY/WORLD: Wednesday, November 16 at 7 p.m.)
Meet African-American musician Daryl Davis, who has a peculiar passion - meeting and befriending members of the Ku Klux Klan in an attempt to change their minds and forge racial conciliation, one racist at a time.

The Talk – Race in America
(PBS 6: Monday, February 20 at 9 p.m.)
In the wake of recent tragic and fatal events between men of color and law enforcement, learn how black and Hispanic families counsel their kids to stay safe if they are stopped by the police.

AMERICAN MASTERS Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
(PBS 6: Tuesday, February 21 at 8 p.m.)
(READY/WORLD: Saturday, February 25 at 10 p.m.)
Journey through the prolific life of the I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings author and activist who inspired generations with lyrical modern African-American thought. Features new interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Common, the Clintons, and others.

African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross – Marathon
(PBS 6: Sunday, February 19 at 12 p.m.)
The Black Atlantic explores the truly global experiences that created the African American people. Beginning a full century before the first documented '20-and-odd' slaves arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, the episode portrays the earliest Africans, both slave and free, who arrived on these shores. But the Trans-Atlantic slave trade would soon become a vast empire connecting three continents. Through stories of individuals caught in its web, like a ten-year-old girl named Priscilla who was transported from Sierra Leone to South Carolina in the mid-18th century, we trace the emergence of plantation slavery in the American South. The late 18th century saw a global explosion of freedom movements, and The Black Atlantic examines what that Era of Revolutions-American, French and Haitian-would mean for African Americans, and for slavery in America.

An Evening with Eric Holder
(READY/WORLD: February 27 at 6 p.m.)
An Evening with Eric Holder is a one-on-one interview with former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. whose career that has been committed to service and racial justice. Join Washington Post blogger and MSNBC contributor, Jonathan Capehart, as he engages in conversation with the third longest-serving Attorney General in U.S. history and the first African American to hold that office.

Africa’s Great Civilizations – Marathon
(PBS 6: Monday-Wednesday, February 27-March 1 at 9 p.m.)
Beginning with Africa’s ancient history as the cradle of mankind, this documentary series with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. brings to life the epic stories of both little-known and celebrated African kingdoms and cultures.

PBS 6 (HD)

Independent Lens: Birth of a Movement Feb 6 at 10 p.m.
Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Feb 11 at 2 p.m.
Jackie Robinson Feb 12 at 1 p.m.
John Lewis – Get in the Way Feb 12 at 5 p.m.
Independent Lens: Accidental Courtesy Feb 13 at 10 p.m.
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross - Marathon Feb 19 at 12 p.m.
The Talk – Race in America Feb 20 at 9 p.m.
American Masters - Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise Feb 21 at 8 p.m.
Africa’s Great Civilizations – Marathon Feb 27 at 9 p.m.

READY/WORLD (6.3 & 27.3)

New Orleans Cooking Feb 1 at 9 a.m.
Taste of the Islands Feb 1 at 9:30 a.m.
Soar Feb 1 at 12 p.m.
Mr. Civil Rights: Thurgood Marshall and The NAACP Feb 3 at 7 p.m.
Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and The Politics Feb 4 at 3 a.m.
Fats Domino: American Masters Feb 4 at 2 p.m. From the Streets to the Stage: The Journey of Frederick Davis Feb 4 at 11 p.m.
1964: The Fight for A Right Feb 5 at 3 a.m.
A Tribute to Toussaint Feb 5 at 2 p.m.
Independent Lens: Spies of Mississippi Feb 5 at 9 p.m.
Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange: Blackout and Pangaea Feb 6 at 6 p.m.
Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne Feb 7 at 12 p.m.
The Quilted Conscience Feb 8 at 12 p.m.
Independent Lens: Birth of a Movement Feb 8 at 6 p.m.
Black Women in Medicine Feb 8 at 7 p.m.
Editor and the Dragon: Horace Carter Fights the Klan Feb 10 at 7 p.m.
Smokey Robinson: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Feb 11 at 2 p.m.
American Masters: Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth Feb 11 at 3:30 p.m.
Independent Lens: A Ballerina’s Tale Feb 11 at 10 p.m.
Black Ballerina Feb 11 at 11 p.m.
Circle Unbroken: A Gullah Journey from Africa to America Feb 12 at 2 p.m.
American Masters - B.B. King Feb 12 at 9 p.m.
Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange: Omo Child Feb 13 at 6 p.m.
Colored Frames Feb 14 at 7 p.m.
American Masters: Sister Rosetta Tharpe Feb 16 at 12 a.m.
Education of Harvey Gantt Feb 17 at 3 a.m.
Liberty & Slavery: The Paradox of America’s Founding Fathers Feb 17 at 7 p.m.
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band Feb 18 at 10 p.m.
Queen of Swing Feb 18 at 11 p.m.
Ghost of Amistad: In the Footsteps of the Rebel Feb 19 at 3 a.m.
Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound Feb 19 at 2 p.m.
Independent Lens - Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution Feb 19 at 8 p.m.
America Reframed: 70 Acres in Chicago Feb 21 at 6 p.m.
Korla Feb 21 at 7 p.m.
Looking Over Jordan Feb 24 at 6:30 p.m.
Rise of the Black Pharaohs Feb 24 at 7 p.m.
Maya Angelou: American Masters Feb 25 at 10 p.m.
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess from San Francisco Opera Feb 26 at 2 p.m.
Slavery By Another Name Feb 27 at 2 a.m.
African American Museum Feb 27 at 12 p.m.
An Evening w/ Eric Holder Feb 27 at 6 p.m.
One Night in March Feb 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Join the conversation on social media with hashtag #MyBlackHistory and visit pbs.org/blackhistory for more films, stories and digital extras.

Classroom Resources Celebrating Black History
PBS LearningMedia − PBS’ online destination for educators and students − offers a range of curriculum-targeted resources that support lessons on black history and spotlight the leaders, thinkers, and innovators that helped shape our nation’s history. Through discussion questions, worksheets, videos, and digitized primary sources, PBS LearningMedia helps teachers to promote curiosity in their classrooms and strengthen students’ personal connection to black history and culture.

Featured resources illuminate the life of figures like Harriet Tubman, Jesse Owens, and Rosa Parks and delve into key themes relevant to the Civil Rights Movement. PBS LearningMedia also offers related resources from recent PBS programs like SOUNDBREAKING, BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE, MERCY STREET and will soon offer content from AFRICA’S GREAT CIVILIZATIONS.

For more information on the latest digital resources for classroom instruction, please visit pbslearningmedia.org.

Free Streaming on the PBS Black Culture Connection (BCC)
The following is a sample of the more than 30 programs available for online streaming on the BCC in February.

• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
  
• Freedom Riders (American Experience)
  
• Freedom Summer (American Experience)
  
• Jimi Hendrix — Hear My Train A-Comin’ (American Masters)
  
• The March @50
  
• Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
  

Other PBS series that routinely offer programming to commemorate Black History Month include FRONTLINE, GREAT PERFORMANCES, POV, PBS NEWSHOUR and TAVIS SMILEY.

About PBS Black Culture Connection (BCC)
The PBS Black Culture Connection, featuring video from films, award-winning documentaries and popular series like AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, links the diverse national content found on PBS with local programs, interviews and discussions from PBS member stations and from around the web. In addition to aggregating more than 100 digital resources about black history and culture in one place within PBS.org, the PBS Black Culture Connection features thematic film collections, biographies and profiles, original productions made just for the web and local station spotlights. After exploring the site, users are encouraged to connect with others through online discussion and to challenge themselves with a suite of quizzes. The PBS Black Culture Connection is made available through partnerships with member stations, including WNET and WGBH, and public media partners like the National Black Programming Consortium. It will also feature the works of producers like Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Stanley Nelson and Tavis Smiley.