Feb 18 Watch 4:22 How an enslaved man helped create these iconic monuments in Washington, D.C. By John Yang, Kaisha Young, Sarah Clune Hartman Some of Washington, D.C.’s most familiar landmarks were built with the labor of enslaved people, their accomplishments largely lost to history. In part three of our series, “Hidden Histories,” we learn about one of those enslaved laborers, a sculptor named… Continue watching
Feb 16 Watch 6:52 New book ‘Half American’ details struggle of Black soldiers in World War II and back home By Amna Nawaz, Karina Cuevas The stories of American soldiers fighting wars have been immortalized in movies and books throughout the years. Yet they have left out in great detail the contributions of Black soldiers. Historian Matthew Delmont takes a closer look at this in… Continue watching
Feb 15 Watch 7:18 How award-winning poet Nikky Finney is bringing new life to her community By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport Nikky Finney is a National Book Award winning-poet, professor and advocate for social justice and cultural preservation. Jeffrey Brown went to South Carolina to see how that mission has now taken on very personal meaning. It’s part of our arts… Continue watching
Feb 13 How St. Louis is approaching the question of reparations for Black citizens By Gabrielle Hays The city is set to launch a reparations commission soon, which will hold its first public meeting no later than 45 days after its appointment. All meetings will be open to the public and include public input. Continue reading
Feb 11 Watch 6:07 Doug Williams on the significance of 2 Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl By John Yang, Rachel Wellford, Winston Wilde Sunday’s Super Bowl will mark the first time in NFL history that both teams’ starting quarterbacks are Black — Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. Former NFL star Doug Williams, who was… Continue watching
Feb 11 Watch 4:32 How Robert Smalls sailed his crew and family to freedom during the Civil War By John Yang, Kaisha Young During the transatlantic slave trade, Charleston, South Carolina was one of the largest slave ports in the United States. But at the height of the Civil War, Charleston’s waterfront was the backdrop of one enslaved man’s daring escape. In part… Continue watching
Feb 07 Watch 6:51 New England’s role in Frederick Douglass’ first steps to freedom By Pamela Watts, Alison Thoet When Frederick Douglass escaped slavery he was aided by friends in the daring and dangerous getaway. He went from being on the run to becoming one of the most influential Americans of the 19th century. Pamela Watts of Rhode Island… Continue watching
Feb 04 Watch 5:24 How a trailblazing Black lawyer took down a top New York City mafia boss By John Yang, Kaisha Young This Black History Month, PBS News Weekend is highlighting stories of Black Americans whose lives and work are lesser known — their accomplishments all the more significant because they were made in the face of injustices and discrimination. In the… Continue watching
Feb 01 Watch 8:18 College Board releases African American Studies course framework after DeSantis criticism By Geoff Bennett, Karina Cuevas The College Board released the official framework of a new Advanced Placement course on African American studies. It comes after criticism from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who said the initial curriculum violated a state law limiting teachings on race in… Continue watching
Jan 31 Watch 6:36 Jake Blount’s new twist on Black American folk music By Tom Casciato When folklorists went to the American South last century to record and preserve traditional string band music, they probably didn’t imagine that someday a 27-year-old like Jake Blount would come along to not only update the tradition but to help… Continue watching