WATERTOWN, NY (January 29, 2025) – WPBS-TV proudly announces its 2025 Black History Month lineup of special programming in February, celebrating the compelling stories that illuminate the diversity of Black experiences across generations and honor the richness of the community.
This year’s programming spans groundbreaking documentaries, family-centered stories, and compelling digital content specially curated to educate, inspire, and honor Black culture. Highlights include a brand-new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. For the first time, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces his own lineage, along with other guests, including actors Laurence Fishburne and Sheryl Lee Ralph, poet Rita Dove, and historian Lonnie Bunch. Additionally, Professor Gates hosts GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE, which delves into the powerful influence of Black migration on American culture and society.
PBS KIDS will premiere four new episodes from LYLA IN THE LOOP on February 3, including stories that celebrate Jamaica Day and highlight Black inventors, in addition to a new game “Lyla and Stu’s Hairdos.” The game gives players a chance to help style Lyla’s hair, with help from Lyla herself, who will guide players step-by-step to get her look just right. PBS KIDS will also debut new episodes of XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM on February 17 and 18, featuring Willard Wigan and Jackie Robinson, in addition to a Black History Month playlist all month long on pbskids.org.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4
Finding Your Roots (8:00 pm) “Family Recipes” Henry Louis Gates, Jr. uncovers the hidden ancestral connections of chefs Jose Andres and Sean Sherman, tracing their roots from Spain to Native American lands.
Great Migrations: A People on the Move (9:00 pm) “Streets Paved with Gold” Learn about the second wave of the Great Migration when Northern and Western Black communities matured through migration and transformed the cultural and political power of Black America.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
I Am She: The Matriarch of America (12 noon) Explore the stories of African American women who have made significant contributions.
Dr. Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius (12:30 pm) The remarkable life story of a renowned African American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player.
Major Taylor: Champion of the Race (1:00 pm) Retrace the life and legacy of an American civil rights pioneer who set more than 20 world records in speed cycling.
Hope in the Struggle: The Josie Johnson Story (2:00 pm) Reflect on the life of freedom fighter and civic leader Dr. Josie Johnson, who fought for fair housing, education, and civil rights.
Facing North: Jefferson St., Nashville (3:00 pm) A documentary exploring the untold stories of a Nashville community struggling to preserve its vibrant African American culture.
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom (4:00 pm) Go beyond the legend and meet the woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11
Finding Your Roots (8:00 pm) “Latin Roots” Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces the family trees of Ruben Blades and Natalie Morales, uncovering hidden secrets from their Latin American ancestors.
Great Migrations: A People on the Move (9:00 pm) “One Way Ticket Back” Explore how the reverse migration of Black Americans to the South-driven by mass movements, economic change, and an ongoing struggle for freedom-continued to reshape the country.
Chautauqua at 150: Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise (10:00 pm) Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise: Live at Chautauqua is a full-length performance film recorded during the institution’s 150th Anniversary celebration. All Rise is one of Marsalis’ most ambitious works. It features Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16
Abolition: The Friendship of Frederick Douglass and John Brown (12 noon) The story of two friends, Frederick Douglass and John Brown, during the tumultuous decade leading up to the Civil War.
St. John Street: Story of a Neighborhood (1:00 pm) In Flint, Michigan, the once-thriving Black community of St. John Street was displaced by urban renewal and highways, leaving behind a forgotten history for over 60 years.
Move When the Spirit Says Move: The Legacy of Doro (2:00 pm) A documentary film about the work of a bold yet unsung civil rights activist/educator and those carrying on her legacy.
North to New York: The Great Migration to NY’s Capital Region (3:30 pm) Stories of the Great Migration to NY’s Capital Region as families moved from the Jim Crow South to the Capitol Region searching for opportunity, freedom and a new home.
American Justice on Trial: People vs. Newton (4:00 pm) In 1967, Black Panther leader, Huey P. Newton’s trial for killing a white officer in Oakland exposed racial tensions, with the nation on edge over the expected verdict.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
Finding Your Roots (8:00 pm) “The Ties That Bind” Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the family trees of actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard, revealing surprising connections to soldiers, settlers, and criminals.
Great Migrations: A People on the Move (9:00 pm) “Coming to America” Hear the story of African and Caribbean immigrants in the United States and examine their profound impact on American culture and what it means to be Black in America.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
American Masters: The Disappearance of Miss Scott (9:00 pm) The story of Hazel Scott, immigrant, piano prodigy, darling of New York’s jazz scene, Hollywood star, rebel, and civil rights activist.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23
George H. White: Searching For Freedom (3:30 pm) Explore the life and legacy of African American leader George White, highlighting his groundbreaking political and civil rights achievements during the Reconstruction Era.
100 Years From Mississippi (4:00 pm) Profile the life of Mamie Lang Kirkland, who left Mississippi at seven years old to escape racial violence and would not return to the state until a century later.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Finding Your Roots (8:00 pm) “The Butterfly Effect” Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the bold ancestors of Debra Messing and Melanie Lynskey, revealing how their choices reshaped their families and descendants’ lives.
American Experience: The NAACP & its Architects (9:00 pm) Trace the NAACP’s rise through key figures like Walter White, WEB DuBois, Thurgood Marshall, and Charles Hamilton Houston, who shaped its fight for civil rights and helped transform America.
Additional programming, including encore specials, will be available to stream at wpbstv.org and the PBS app.
Alongside the broadcast schedule, THE BLOCK PARTY, an online community gathering to celebrate Black stories featured in documentaries and programs, returns for a fourth consecutive year. Audiences can also watch web series and other digital content on the Black History Month YouTube playlists by PBS Digital Studios and THE BLOCK PARTY.
PBS LearningMedia is a free educational resource that includes curriculum-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators nationwide. Each year, PBS LearningMedia provides a curated Black History Month collection to showcase Black excellence through contributions, achievements, and ideas across subjects and eras. Explore videos, media galleries, lesson plans, and more for students at https://thinktv.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/celebrating-black-history-culture.
About WPBS
WPBS is a PBS station serving approximately 600,000 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 and inspire diverse communities with exceptional and trusted content across multiple platforms. Its vision is to be the premier provider of relevant public service media that instills wonder and curiosity across generations and cultures. More information about WPBS, including a full channel listing, is available at wpbstv.org, or by following WPBS on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. Download the free WPBS Mobile App to follow WPBS on the g
