JOHNSTON, IOWA (January 25, 2021) — Join Iowa PBS in celebrating Black History Month this February with timely, educational programs highlighting stories of courage, strength, and perseverance. These programs will offer viewers opportunities to honor the contributions and achievements of African-Americans by learning more about their stories.
The scheduled programming will appear on Iowa PBS .1 as follows:
American Experience
Goin' Back to T-Town — Monday, February 8, 8: Discover the story of Greenwood, an extraordinary African-American community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that prospered during the 1920s and '30s despite rampant and hostile segregation.
Voice of Freedom — Monday, February 15, 8PM: This documentary interweaves Marian Anderson's rich life story with a landmark moment in history — her triumphant 1939 concert at the Lincoln Memorial — and explores fundamental questions about talent, race, fame, democracy, and the American soul.
The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards — Sunday, February 14, 1PM: Hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr, this special chronicles the only juried American book prize focusing on works that address racism and diversity. It serves to amplify diverse voices and foster dialogue about inclusivity that transcends the digital divide.
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana — Monday, February 1, 8PM: Highlights of this special episode include an 1821 US citizenship certificate for George Barker, a free man of color; and a Black American beauty book written by Madam C J Walker, the first American female millionaire.
The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song — Tuesdays, February 16 and 23, 8PM: This two-part series from Henry Louis Gates Jr traces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America, exploring its broad history and culture, and examining its role as the epicenter of the freedom struggle that revolutionized the United States.
Driving While Black: Race, Space, and Mobility in America — Friday, February 19, 8:30PM: Discover how the advent of the automobile brought new mobility and freedom for African-Americans but also exposed them to discrimination and deadly violence, and how that history resonates today.
Finding Your Roots
Slave Trade — Tuesday, February 9, 8PM: Questlove, S Epatha Merkerson, and Ava DuVernay explore the unexpected places where their ancestors were scattered by slavery.
Write My Name in the Book of Life — Tuesday, February 16, 7PM: Henry Louis Gates Jr helps musician Pharrell Williams and filmmaker Kasi Lemmons uncover extraordinarily rare first-person accounts of their enslaved ancestors.
Independent Lens: Mr SOUL! — Monday, February 22, 10PM: In 1968, Ellis Haizlip developed SOUL!, a public-television variety show that shared African-American culture with the nation, and promoted the vibrancy of the Black Arts Movement.
Marching Forward — Sunday, February 7, 2PM: This documentary tells the story of how friendship and professional cooperation between two high-school band-directors in the segregated South — one white and one black — resulted in the experience of a lifetime for two Orlando-area bands at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Sammy Davis Jr: American Masters — Friday, February 26, 9PM: Explore the entertainer's vast talent and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America.
Viewers can also find a collection of videos highlighting influential Black Iowans and filmmakers at iowapbs.org/blackstories.
In addition to its statewide broadcast, Iowa PBS .1 is available to livestream on iowapbs.org/watch, pbs.org/livestream, the PBS Video App, and YouTube TV. Iowa PBS programs, behind-the-scenes extras, and more can be enjoyed on iowapbs.org, Facebook, and YouTube. Viewers can also stream their favorite shows on demand using the PBS Video App, available on iOS, Android, and many streaming devices.
As Iowa's only statewide television network, Iowa PBS's mission to educate, inform, enrich, and inspire Iowans guides its quality, non-commercial programming that tells Iowa's stories like no one else can. Four statewide, public channels offer programs of lasting value to Iowans, regardless of where they live or what they can afford: Iowa PBS .1, Iowa PBS KIDS .2, Iowa PBS WORLD .3 and Iowa PBS Create .4 on Channel 11, Des Moines; Channel 12, Iowa City; Channel 21, Fort Dodge; Channel 24, Mason City; Channel 27, Sioux City; Channel 32, Waterloo; Channel 32, Council Bluffs; Channel 36, Davenport; and Channel 36, Red Oak. More information can be found at iowapbs.org.
