See how everyday people are imagining a better future. Put on your chef’s hat and learn about equitable food systems and communities, then dive deep with ocean farmers navigating the waves of climate change. Along the way, explore epidemiology and computational genetics, and see how people are envisioning a more equitable future from a variety of different perspectives.
American Masters “Orozco: Man of Fire” • WXXI-WORLD
The life of Orozco is one of the great stories of modern art, filled with drama, adversity and remarkable achievement.
American Masters “Orozco: Man of Fire” airs Saturday, September 21 at 2 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD.
The life of Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco (1883-1949), a life filled with drama, adversity and triumph, is one of the great stories of the modern era. Despite poverty, childhood rheumatic fever that damaged his heart and an explosion in his youth that cost him his left hand, Orozco persisted in his wish to become an artist.
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POV: Name Me Lawand • WXXI-TV
Lawand, deaf from birth, seeks a fresh start with his family in the UK after a traumatic year in a refugee camp.
POV: Name Me Lawand airs Sunday, January 19, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.
At Derby’s Royal School for the Deaf, he learns sign language and discovers a way to communicate with the world. As he thrives, his family faces deportation, challenging their stability. Name Me Lawand is a love letter to the power of friendship and community.
his program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 13-19, 2025
WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.
Craft in America • Watch On-Demand
CRAFT IN AMERICA, the Peabody Award-winning series on PBS, explores America’s creative spirit through the language and traditions of the handmade. With 31 episodes produced since 2007, the series takes viewers on a journey to the artists, origins and techniques of American craft. Each episode contains stories from diverse regions and cultures, blending history with living practice and exploring issues of identity, ritual, philosophy and creative expression.
Visit PBS Anywhere, to see all of the places you can watch Craft in America at home or on the go. You can also purchase DVDs of the Peabody Award-winning series for your home library, or get it on iTunes.
37th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards • WXXI-TV
This year’s Hispanic Heritage Awardees include Designer Carolina Herrera, Beautyblender Creator Rea Ann Silva, and NBA Legend Carmelo Anthony.
37th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards premieres Fridays, September 27 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
The ceremony will be taped for broadcast on Thursday, September 5th, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Opera House. The HHAs, supported by 40 national Hispanic-serving institutions, were established by The White House in 1988 to commemorate the creation of Hispanic Heritage Month in America and broadcast on PBS. The Awards are commonly known as “America’s Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration.”
VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos • WXXI-TV & WORLD
Inspired by his quest to uncover Latino and Latina heroes and their contributions, this new three-part series brings acclaimed Broadway and film actor John Leguizamo’s passion from the stage to the screen.
VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos premieres Fridays, September 27 and October 4 and 11 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams on PBS.org and the PBS App. After the premiere, the episodes can be watched on-demand here.
Also airing on WXXI-World
Episode 1: Echoes of Empires airs on World:
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 05:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 11:00 am
Episode 2: Threads in the American Tapestry
WXXI World | Thursday, Oct. 10 at 07:00 pm
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 11 at 12:00 am
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 11 at 08:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 05:00 am
WXXI World | Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 11:00 am
Episode 3: Solidarity in the New Era
WXXI World | Thursday, Oct. 17 at 07:00 pm
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 18 at 12:00 am
WXXI World | Friday, Oct. 18 at 08:00 am
In this series, Leguizamo takes viewers on a captivating journey, delving into both well-known and lesser-known stories of Latino history and contributions, spanning thousands of years from the Ancient Empires to the early 1970s. Through this exploration, he aims to shine a light on the rich and often overlooked history of Latinos while showcasing how Latino history is American history.
Filmed on location in Mexico and throughout the U.S., American Historia features Leguizamo in conversation with over a dozen leading historians, anthropologists, authors and experts. The series also features actors, including Benjamin Bratt, Bryan Cranston, Rosario Dawson, Laurence Fishburne, Ethan Hawke, Edward James Olmos, Rosie Perez, Liev Schreiber, reading original source materials.
“If our contributions were written back into history textbooks, can you imagine how America would see us?’ says Leguizamo. “More importantly, can you imagine how we would see ourselves?”
Photo: Creator and host John Leguizamo on the set of AMERICAN HISTORIA./ Credit: NGL Studios
POV “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” • WXXI-TV
POV spotlights courage, resilience, and youthful idealism, in this film directed by Joe Piscatella, and produced by Mark Rinehart and Matthew Torne.
POV “Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?” airs Monday, September 23 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and available to stream until November 22, 2024 at pbs.org, and the PBS App.
At 21, Nathan Law was a leader of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution. By 23, he became Hong Kong’s youngest elected lawmaker. At 26, he was “Most Wanted” under the National Security Law. Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law?, a co-presentation with Preserving Democracy, a public media initiative from The WNET Group, offers a close look at the city’s most famous dissident to uncover what happens to freedom when an authoritarian power goes unchecked.
In addition to standard closed captioning for the film, POV, in partnership with audio description service DiCapta, provides real time audio interpretations for audiences with sensory disabilities. Now in its 37th season, POV continues to mark its place as America’s longest running non-fiction series.
In Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law? shy college freshman, Nathan Law, discovers an identity in activism. As one of the organizers of a student strike demanding that Hong Kong be allowed to elect their own leader (something promised to them back in 1998), Nathan leads five days of student boycotts with a message of peaceful civil disobedience. When the strike suddenly becomes the Umbrella Revolution, Nathan is unexpectedly thrust into a leadership role that shuts down Hong Kong for 79 days and captures the attention of the world.
When the movement falters, Nathan is charged for his role in the Umbrella Revolution, and his entire generation in Hong Kong has been awoken. Riding the enthusiasm of the student movement he helped spark, Nathan makes the impossible transition from protest leader to elected official, becoming the youngest lawmaker in Hong Kong’s history where he continues his fight for democracy from inside the government.
Fearful of Nathan’s message gaining traction beyond students, the government disqualifies Nathan on a technicality and sends him to jail. As Hong Kong continues to see the erosion of its freedom, a new movement is launched. Whereas the Umbrella Revolution was driven by hope, this new movement is driven by desperation. Nathan’s message of civil disobedience is overshadowed by a new generation of protestors who no longer feel that peaceful demonstrations can save Hong Kong. As Hong Kong descends into the biggest political crisis in modern Chinese history, Nathan must decide his role and his future.
Photo: Nathan Law/ Credit: Provided
Deadlock • WXXI-TV
Hosted by Aaron Tang of UC Davis School of Law, Deadlock aims to foster constructive dialogue and critical thinking amidst today’s societal challenges.
Deadlock airs Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams on PBS.org, YouTube and the PBS app.
Over the hour, Tang will skillfully navigate panelists through thought-provoking hypothetical situations designed to challenge their beliefs and prompt deep introspection.
“The current climate of American discourse finds us deeply entrenched and overconfident in our own beliefs,” said moderator Aaron Tang, Professor of Law at UC Davis. “Deadlock aims to illuminate how, for many of the difficult challenges facing our nation, the honest answers are nuanced and complex. Our goal is to spark open-mindedness and help people find the middle ground instead of retreating to our usual corners.”
Deadlock explores fundamental topics about community and responsibility, triggering legal, moral and ethical responses. As the hypothetical scenarios follow intricate twists and turns, panelists and viewers alike will find themselves asking the soul-searching question, “What would I do?”
Photo:
TCA Summer 2024 presentation of Deadlock – Aaron Tang, Andy Lack, and John Bredar/ Credit: Courtesy Rob Latour/Shutterstock for Television Critics Association