New documentaries and special presentations will commemorate Black History Month through February and the spring.
From Independent Lens documentaries exploring the various experiences of Black Americans, to American Masters programs that highlight famous artists who achieved success over prejudice and injustice, to historical programs from Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Stanley Nelson, viewers will gain a deeper understanding of African American history and culture.
On Independent Lens, watch for:
- Black Memorabilia (debuting at 9 p.m. Feb. 4), spotlighting the people who reproduce, consume and reclaim black memorabilia, racially charged objects often wrapped in the protective embrace of antiquity and historical preservation;
- Hale County This Morning, This Evening (debuting at 9 p.m. Feb. 11), the Oscar-nominated 2018 documentary that shares intimate moments in the lives of African Americans in the community and offers a detailed glimpse at life in America’s Black Belt with an emotive impression of the historic South;
- Charm City(debuting at 9 p.m. April 22), a critically acclaimed film that profiles a group of police officers, citizens, community leaders and government officials in Baltimore who are grappling with the consequences of violence and trying to reclaim their city’s future.
The American Masters offerings will include:
- Sammy Davis Jr.: I Gotta Be Me (debuting at 8 p.m. Feb. 19), which examines the entertainer’s vast talent and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress in 20th-century America;
- Charley Pride: I’m Just Me (debuting at 8 p.m. Feb. 22), which reveals the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride.
Other special broadcasts will include:
- Austin City Limits (10 p.m. Feb. 2), an hour of blues and hip-hop with Buddy Guy and August Greene;
- Antiques Roadshow (encoring at 8 p.m. Feb. 4), a compilation episode, "Celebrating Black Americana";
- Pipeline (8 p.m. Feb. 8), a Live from Lincoln Center presentation of Dominique Morisseau’s acclaimed play about an inner-city teacher desperate to save her son;
- Reconstruction: America After the Civil War (airing at 9 p.m. April 9 and 16), with Henry Louis Gates Jr. examining the history of the transformative years following the American Civil War;
- Boss: The Black Experience in Business (7 p.m. April 23), a film about the untold story of African American entrepreneurship
