WATERTOWN, NY (February 8, 2023) – As part of its continued commitment to showcase diverse stories and storytellers, WPBS is proud to present special programming throughout the month of February 2023 to commemorate Black History Month.
“PBS is passionate about celebrating the many voices, innovations and accomplishments of our diverse communities year-round and providing a platform where all Americans can see themselves reflected,” said Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “We are excited for the return of THE BLOCK PARTY, a special streaming collection and social campaign amplifying Black stories from across PBS platforms, as well as new digital-only and broadcast premieres, including the return of fan-favorite FINDING YOUR ROOTS.”
This year PBS is expanding its streaming offerings with the return of THE BLOCK PARTY, a streaming collection and social campaign presented by PBS’s Black Culture Connection. Aiming to amplify Black stories and content across PBS’s platforms through curated collections and original bonus content, the campaign originally launched in 2022 on PBS.org and the PBS app.
WPBS’s schedule of Black History Month programming is as follows:
Finding Your Roots: Lost & Found (Tuesday, February 7th at 8:00 pm) Joe Manganiello and Tony Gonzalez uncover close relatives whose names they never knew before.
NOVA: Star Chasers of Senegal (Wednesday, February 8th at 9:00 pm) A NASA spacecraft named Lucy blasts off from Cape Canaveral on a mission to the Trojans.
Josephine Baker: The Story of an Awakening (Friday, February 10th at 9:00 pm) The amazing story of the first black superstar who ultimately became a Civil Rights activist.
Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton (Sunday, February 12th at 12:30 pm) In 2019, the Black College Football Hall of Fame was officially welcomed to the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World, part 2 (Tuesday, February 14th at 9:00 pm) Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary.
Hollywood’s Architecture: The Paul R. Williams Story (Sunday, February 19th at 12 noon) Nicknamed “Architect to the Stars,” African American architect Paul R. Williams had a life story that could have been dreamed up by a Hollywood screenwriter.
Dreams of Hope (Sunday, February 19th at 1:00 pm) The story of a historic concert at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, more than 50 years after a hate crime there killed four African American girls.
Searching for Timbuctoo (Sunday, February 19th at 2:00 pm) The little-known story of a Black settlement, established in the wilds of upstate New York, that brought together a group of ardent abolitionists willing to risk everything to destroy slavery.
87th Annual Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards (Sunday, February 19th at 3:00 pm) The only national juried prize recognizing literature that has contributed to our understanding of racism and human diversity. Hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Ida B. Wells: American Stories (Sunday, February 19th at 4:00 pm) An hour-long documentary telling the story like never before of the 19th-century crusading investigative journalist, civil rights leader, and passionate suffragist Ida B. Wells.
Finding Your Roots: And Still I Rise (Tuesday, February 21st at 8:00 pm) The family trees of activist Angela Y. Davis and former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson.
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World, part 3 (Tuesday, February 21st at 9:00 pm) Experience the 1990s and the unstoppable rise in the popularity of Hip Hop.
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World part 4 (Tuesday, February 21st at 10:00 pm) From successful artists to changing history, follow the global evolution of Hip Hop.
Great Performances: The Magic of Spirituals (Friday, February 24th at 9:00 pm) Glimpse behind the curtain at opera legends Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman’s famed concert at Carnegie Hall on March 18, 1990.
Next at Kennedy Center: Let My Children Hear Mingus (Friday, February 24th at 10:30 pm) The Kennedy Center celebrates jazz icon and social activist Charles Mingus at 100.
Becoming Frederick Douglass (Sunday, February 26th at 12 noon) Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most influential voices for democracy in American history.
Marian Anderson: Once in a Hundred Years (Sunday, February 26th at 1:30 pm) Marian Anderson (1897-1993) is considered one of the most important opera performers of the 20th century.
Luther Vandross: Always & Forever (Sunday, February 26th at 8:00 pm) The legendary Luther Vandross, at his most smooth and sensuous, performs his greatest hits and favorite covers.
Marian Anderson: Once in a Hundred Years (Tuesday, February 28th at 7:00 pm) Marian Anderson (1897-1993) is considered one of the most important opera performers of the 20th century.
Black Broadway: A Proud History, A Limitless Future (Tuesday, February 28th at 8:00 pm) Join an all-star cast performing songs from hit musicals to celebrate the rich history and evolution of Black roles and voices on Broadway.
Luther Vandross: Always & Forever (Tuesday, February 28th at 10:00 pm) The legendary Luther Vandross, at his most smooth and sensuous, performs his greatest hits and favorite covers.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 650,000 households throughout Northern New York and Eastern Ontario via cable, satellite, Internet and over-the-air distribution. WPBS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate, inform, and engage its two-nation region with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of extraordinary public media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and borders. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
