Black History

Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands On-Demand

Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America.

American Masters: Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands is available on-demand through 9/1/2024

The film explores the life, career, art and legacy of the African American contralto and civil rights pioneer in her own words using archival interview recordings. Marian Anderson’s singing and speaking voice are heard throughout the documentary, providing new understanding of the woman behind the music.

Spotlighting Anderson’s voice and point of view, the documentary draws from 34 cassette tapes of interviews recorded in the 1950s, when she was preparing to write her memoir, “My Lord, What a Morning,” and other archival interviews. Anchored by key performances in her career, American Masters – Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands shows how her quiet genius and breathtaking voice set the stage for Black performers in classical music, and a louder voice for civil rights. Additionally, with unprecedented access to the Marian Anderson Estate, the documentary draws on rare audio recordings, photographs and personal correspondence to and from family and friends, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Josephine Baker and Langston Hughes.

American Masters: Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands • WXXI-WORLD

Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America.

American Masters: Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands airs Monday, February 17 at 2 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD.

Extraordinary Women from Stories from the Stage On-Demand

What does it mean to be extraordinary? Defy the odds and redefine benchmarks of success. Homeless at 19, Natalie builds a career as a pediatric neurosurgeon; Rebecca, one of the “Lost Girls of Sudan,” finds a path to creating positive change; and Lachi fights discrimination as a disability rights advocate. Three storytellers, three interpretations of EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN; hosted by Theresa Okokon.

Running with My Girls On-Demand

Tired of watching local government ignore their communities’ interests, five diverse female activists run for municipal office in Denver – one of the U.S.’s fastest gentrifying cities. A story about an engaged community outrunning the deep pockets of the political establishment, RUNNING WITH MY GIRLS demonstrates that building a new kind of political power is not just aspirational but possible. Available to watch on-demand through 9/13/24

Two Wars l The Road to Integration • WXXI-TV

Segregation and the eventual integration of the United States Military.

Two Wars l The Road to Integration airs Tuesday, February 27 at 10:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Two Wars | The Road to Integration tackles the topic of segregation and eventual integration of the United States Military. Since the earliest days of the Republic, African Americans have been part of the nation’s fighting force. African American service members in the United States Military fought to defend the very freedoms they could not enjoy as citizens.

Photo: WWII soldiers • Credit: American Public Television

A Conversation with NAACP Image Award Recipient, Nikki Giovanni • On-Demand Facebook Live Event

Legendary Poet, Nikki Giovanni, Reflects on Her Literary Works that Inspire and Transcend the Imagination.

Watch PBS Books Event with Nikki Giovanni from Wednesday, April 3 at 8pm The event is archived here.

As part of its Wright Conversations series, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents Nikki Giovanni, one of this country’s most widely read poets and one of America’s most renowned poets worldwide. Her poem, “Knoxville, Tennessee,” is arguably the single literary work most often associated with that city. Giovanni has received numerous awards in the course of her career, including seven Image Awards from the N.A.A.C.P., more than two-dozen honorary degrees, the first Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, the Langston Hughes Medal for Poetry, and the Carl Sandburg Literary Award; additionally, Oprah Winfrey recognized her in 2005 as one of twenty-five “Living Legends.” She continues to teach, write, and publish books. Her most recent collection, “Make Me Rain,” was released in October of 2020.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Poet Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943. Although she grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, she and her sister returned to Knoxville each summer to visit their grandparents. Nikki graduated with honors in history from her grandfather’s alma mater, Fisk University. Since 1987, she has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she is an Emerita Professor in the Department of English. She has been nominated for a Grammy and a finalist for the National Book Award. She has authored three New York Times and Los Angeles Times best-sellers, highly unusual for a poet. For more information in the words of the poet herself, visit here.

Independent Lens: Breaking the News On-Demand

Frustrated by the lack of representation in the media, a group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists launched The 19th*, a digital news startup whose work is guided by elevating the voices often left out of the American story. Watch on-demand through 5/19/24.

Independent Lens: Breaking the News follows the launch of The 19th*, a news startup that seeks to change the white, male-dominated news industry, asking who’s been omitted from mainstream coverage and how to include them. Bringing the viewer right into the newsroom during tense moments as the startup launches in a pandemic amid rising social unrest, the film provides an inside view of what it takes to challenge the status quo and break the mold in American media.

Shot over three years, the film documents the honest discussions at The 19th* around race and gender equity, revealing that change doesn’t come easy, and showcases how they confront these challenges both as a workplace and in their journalism. But this film is about more than a newsroom; it’s about America in flux and the voices that are often left out of the American story.

NPR Black Stories, Black Truths:

A special podcast series featuring black lives, experiences and voices brought to you by NPR.

The Black Stories, Black Truths Podcast Series: NPR’s best podcast episodes and features from across the Black experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same five-minute span.

Black Stories, Black Truths Podcast Series

See Black Stories, Black Truths Videos promoting the podcast series and—most importantly—a celebration of Black voices in journalism. Our voices aren’t a monolith, and neither is public media.