Celebrate and explore Black History Month with WKAR!
Feb. 1 - Feb. 28. | Airing in primetime on WKAR-HD and WKAR World. Listings are subject to change.
Thu Feb. 2 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
America ReFramed: Where The Pavement Ends
Where The Pavement Ends transports viewers to Missouri towns Kinloch and Ferguson, examining the shared histories and deep racial divides affecting both. Through archival audio recordings, photographs and the recollections of residents from what was then all-Black Kinloch and the all-white community of Ferguson, director Gillooly, a Ferguson native, draws parallels between a 1960s dispute over a physical barricade erected between the towns and the 2014 shooting death by police of Michael Brown which brought her town national attention. A haunting and mesmerizing look at the deep and lasting wounds of segregation and racial injustice, Where The Pavement Ends shines a light on the pride and tragedy of Kinloch while also reminding viewers of the countless American neighborhoods, separated by mere blocks, whose residents live worlds apart.
Thu Feb. 2 at 9:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Why This Moment
In Richmond, Virginia, filmmakers Domico Phillips and Metta Bastet captured the outcry in the city as people expressed their anger over repeated acts of police brutality against people of color. Emotions ran high, violence broke out, and relationships developed through several months of marches and peaceful demonstrations. WHY THIS MOMENT documents unfolding events in Richmond's streets, as seen through the eyes of the protesters, from the first night of civil unrest to the removal of several confederate statues across the city.
Fri Feb. 3 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
American Experience: The Blinding of Isaac Woodard
Discover the 1946 incident of racial violence by police that led to the racial awakening of President Harry Truman and set the stage for the landmark 1954 Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education decision, jump-starting the civil rights movement.
Fri Feb. 3 at 9PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 1
Hour one explores how free Black people, in the North and South, built towns, established schools, held conventions - creating robust networks to address the political, economic, and social needs of the entire Black community.
Fri Feb. 3 at 10PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 2
Hour two explores how African Americans turn within, creating a community that not only sustains but empowers. From HBCUs to Black businesses to the Harlem Renaissance to political organizations, Black life flourished.
Sun Feb. 5 at 5PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Conversation with Coach James Bibbs
WKAR's Al Martin has a conversation with former MSU Mens Track and Field Head Coach James Bibbs about his life and career and being named Grand Marshal of the 2022 MSU Homecoming Parade.
Sun Feb. 5 at 5:30PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton
In 2019, the Black College Football Hall of Fame was officially welcomed to the campus of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Along with it came a celebration of the historically Black college and university brand of football. BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: JOURNEY TO CANTON tells the story of the formation of Black college football, the contributions that players from historically Black colleges and universities have made to the NFL, the founding of its Hall of Fame, and why the Hall is in the unexpected location of Canton.
Sun Feb. 5 at 10PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
American Experience: Freedom Riders
In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. Many states violently enforced the policy, while the federal government, under the Kennedy administration, remained indifferent, preoccupied with matters abroad. That is, until an integrated band of college students many of whom were the first in their families to attend a university decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face-to-face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation.
Mon Feb. 6 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
When The Waters Get Deep
WHEN THE WATERS GET DEEP is conceived as a tool to help Black and Brown communities tend to the trauma and grief brought on by gun violence and loss. The film focuses on the community-based healing practices of Oakland-based hip-hop, soul and jazz ensemble, SOL Development.
Mon Feb. 6 at 9PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Local, USA: Heaven: Can You Hear Me?
In Philadelphia, gun violence is the leading cause of death for young Black men. HEAVEN: CAN YOU HEAR ME? explores the impact on families through the eyes of mothers like one woman whose youngest of four sons was murdered. The film demonstrates the challenges gun violence prevention advocates confront while allowing viewers to understand the often-untold trauma and resilience of survivors.
Mon Feb. 6 at 10PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Independent Lens: Outta The Muck
A co-production with Black Public Media (BPM), "Outta the Muck" wades into the rich soil of Pahokee, a rural Florida town. Beyond sending over a dozen players to the NFL, Pahokee, a rural town on the banks of Lake Okeechobe, possesses a legacy of resilience and achievement in the face of great storms and personal trauma.
Mon Feb. 7 at 10PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Bridging The Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race
Thirty-five years before the election of President Barack Obama, the question of race and the possibility of bridging racial barriers were put to the test in an overlooked story in American politics: Tom Bradley's 1973 election as Mayor of Los Angeles: the first African American mayor of a major U.S. city with an overwhelmingly white majority. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE tells the story of how Bradley's coalition of African Americans, Jews, white liberals, Latinos and Asian Americans united a divided city, brought inclusion and access, and set the foundation for inter-racial coalitions that encouraged the elections of minority candidates nationwide, including President Barack Obama. At the same time, the film examines the complexities and contradictions of Bradley's career as a bridge builder. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE brings into sharp focus the issues of police abuse and police reform, and shows how Tom Bradley, a former police officer and a black mayor, could not break the cycles of poverty and despair that would ultimately spark the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, and mark the end of his era. BRIDGING THE DIVIDE is the story of multi-ethnic Los Angeles finding its voice and identity in the face of discrimination and political disenfranchisement. And it is the story of the politics of race, and complexities of coalitions in a changing America.
Wed Feb. 8 at 9PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Nova: Star Chasers of Senegal
A visionary astronomer in West Africa attempts a high-stakes observation of a distant asteroid vital to a NASA mission. From prehistoric ruins to Islamic skywatchers, explore the heritage and future of African astronomy.
Thu Feb. 9 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
America ReFramed: Vision Portraits
Acclaimed director Rodney Evans (Brother to Brother and The Happy Sad) takes viewers on a personal journey as he ponders how the deterioration of his vision will impact his life and work as a filmmaker. Interviewing blind and low vision artists - a photographer, a dancer and a writer - Evans embarks on a quest to learn how other artists have continued to create art and how their journeys might serve as inspiration for his own.
Thu Feb. 9 at 9:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
POV Shorts: Shut Up and Paint
Painter Titus Kaphar uses film as a medium while grappling with an insatiable art market seeking to silence his activism.
Fri Feb. 10 at 8:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
American Masters: James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
This program is an in-depth portrait of James Baldwin, one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. Using archival material that reflects Baldwin's worldwide influence and appeal, the film includes interviews with family members, friends and notable colleagues, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, William Styron, Amiri Baraka, Richard Avedon, and Bobby Short, among others. Segments were filmed in France, Turkey, and Harlem, all places where Baldwin lived. Through Baldwin's work as a writer (ever since his first book in 1953, "Go Tell It On The Mountain"), he has helped mobilize the civil rights movement, brought new awareness and compassion to both black and white readers, and shed light on what it is like to be black in America.
Fri Feb. 10 at 9PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 3
To survive economic disaster, hour three shows how African Americans relied on informal economies, grassroots organizations and cultural innovations behind the color line to dismantle the oppressive realities of Jim Crow.
Fri Feb. 10 at 10PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 4
Despite the gains of legal desegregation, hour four reveals how Black political and cultural movements - from Black Power to Black Twitter - provide a safe space to debate, organize and celebrate.
Sun Feb. 12 at 10PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Freedom Summer: American Experience
Revisit the hot and deadly summer of 1964, when student volunteers and local Black citizens faced racial violence in Mississippi while registering voters in an attempt to break the hold of segregation.
Mon Feb. 13 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Independent Lens: When Claude Got Shot
After being shot in the face by 15-year-old Nathan King, Claude's path to recovery leads to forgiveness. But that path is paved with the complexities of race, violence, and justice.
Tue Feb. 14 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin
Follow a team of forensic experts as they investigate the preserved remains of a young African American woman from 19th century New York and reveal the little-known story of early America's free black communities.
Tue Feb. 14 at 9PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed The World: Under Siege
Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T, and NWA.
Thu Feb. 16 at 9PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Dream Land: Little Rock's West 9th Street
Little Rock, Arkansas' West 9th Street was once a vibrant, African-American business and entertainment district. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior, Taborian Hall is the only remaining historic structure on West 9th Street and stands as a living witness to the street's former glory days. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Taborian Hall housed varied and important black businesses, including professional offices, a USO, the Gem Pharmacy and the Dreamland Ballroom. By the 1930s, Dreamland was firmly established as a stop on the "Chitlin Circuit," which showcased regional and national African-American bands, stage shows and performers such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Etta James, Count Basie, T. Bone Walker, and many more. It was also host to local musicians, dances, socials, concerts and sporting events. The documentary DREAM LAND: LITTLE ROCK'S WEST 9TH STREET details the history of this district, the black community in Little Rock and race relations in the city. It also showcases the spirit and hard work of the people who called the neighborhood home, and explores the impact of federal programs such as urban renewal, school desegregation, the Housing Act of 1949, and the Eisenhower Interstate Program.
Thu Feb. 17 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free
Explore the lives and trailblazing careers of iconic African American entertainers Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier, who changed American culture through their films, fashion, music and politics.
Sun Feb. 19 at 10PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Jackie Robinson: Part One
Robinson rises from humble origins to integrate Major League Baseball, performing brilliantly despite the threats and abuse he faces on and off the field and, in the process, challenges the prejudiced notions of what a black man can achieve.
Mon Feb. 20 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 2
Hour two explores how African Americans turn within, creating a community that not only sustains but empowers. From HBCUs to Black businesses to the Harlem Renaissance to political organizations, Black life flourished.
Mon Feb. 20 at 9PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Bonnie Boswell Presents: A Conversation with Pastor James Lawson and Attorney Bryan Stevenson
Mon Feb. 20 at 9:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Stories from the Stage: Growing Up Black Part 2
In America, growing up Black means so many things: cultural bonds, a struggle for visibility, and all too often, unearned judgement. Tonight, storytellers share their experiences of growing up black in the US. Valerie Tutson teaches her students about Africa greatest explorer Abubakari II; U-Meleni Mhlaba-Adebo takes her son to a protest of George Floyd's death; and Harold Cox shows how fear of the police affects his everyday life. Hosted by Theresa Okokon.
Wed Feb. 22 at 8:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Birth of a Planet: Richmond On Paper
From the heart of the Confederacy arose an African Americanrun newspaper that shook the foundations of the Old South and beyond by providing the kind of coverage that reminds us why every voice matters. In an era defined by the struggle against lynchings, segregation, and voter suppression, the Richmond Planet and its pistol-packing editor, John Mitchell, Jr., exposed stories of brutality, racism, and injustice that remain very familiar today.
Thu Feb. 23 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
America ReFramed: The Death of My Two Fathers
After 20 years, Sol Guy finally watches his late father?s tapes and embarks on a personal journey of healing and reconciliation. At once a conversation between past and present and a letter to Sol's children, THE DEATH OF MY TWO FATHERS reveals the complexities of identity, the persistence of racial trauma, the challenges of fatherhood -- and the liberation that exists in facing our own mortality.
Thu Feb. 23 at 9:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Reel South: All Skinfolk Ain't Kinfolk
After a contentious race, the 2017 runoff for mayor of New Orleans came down to two candidates: Desiree Charbonnet and LaToya Cantrell, two very different black women. The winner of this election would take office as the first female mayor of New Orleans and the city's fourth black mayor. Through news footage, campaign advertisements and archival audio and video, All Skinfolk Ain't Kinfolk is the unprecedented story of this mayoral runoff told through the eyes of black women living in this city. LOCAL ANGLES: Trailblazing women, women in politics, 2020 elections, New Orleans / Louisiana stations, Tulane professor, Black Public Media funding, New Orleans-based director, woman director.
Fri Feb. 24 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Just A Mortal Man - The Jerry Lawson Story
A documentary about the founder and original lead singer of the legendary a cappella group The Persuasions.
Fri Feb. 24 at 9PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Great Performances: The Magic of Spirituals
Glimpse behind the curtain at opera legends Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman's famed concert at Carnegie Hall on March 18, 1990, featuring performance clips and new interviews with opera star Angel Blue, Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb and more.
Fri Feb. 24 at 9:30PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Odessa's Reign
Odessa Madre, nicknamed Queen of the Underworld, was a prosperous numbers runner and a key figure in a lucrative gambling ring in Washington, D.C. in the 1950s. Leading the paper chase gave her prestige within the mob, power in her neighborhood, and control over the men charged with enforcing the law - all while being an African American woman in a segregated city.
Fri Feb. 24 at 10:30PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Just A Mortal Man - The Jerry Lawson Story
A documentary about the founder and original lead singer of the legendary a cappella group The Persuasions.
Sun Feb. 26 at 10PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Jackie Robinson: Part Two
Robinson uses his fame to speak out against injustice, alienating many who had once lauded him for "turning the other cheek." After baseball, he seeks ways to fight inequality, but as he faces a crippling illness, he struggles to remain relevant.
Mon Feb. 27 at 8PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Becoming Frederick Douglass
Discover how a man born into slavery became one of the most influential voices for democracy in American history. Oscar nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson explores the role Douglass played in securing the right to freedom for African Americans.
Mon Feb. 27 at 8PM on WKAR WORLD 23.2
Making Black America: Through The Grapevine: Episode 4
Despite the gains of legal desegregation, hour four reveals how Black political and cultural movements - from Black Power to Black Twitter - provide a safe space to debate, organize and celebrate.
Tue Feb. 28 at 8PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Black Broadway: A Proud History, A Limitless Future
Join an all-star cast performing songs from the hit musicals Dreamgirls, Ain't Misbehavin, The Color Purple, Porgy and Bess and so many more to celebrate the rich history and evolution of Black roles and voices on Broadway. Weaving the history, prominence and hopes for the future through music, the cast is led by Stephanie Mills, Norm Lewis, Corbin Bleu, Niki Renee Daniels, Peppermint, Tiffany Mann and Sydney James Harcourt. Special appearances include Clayton Cornelius, James Monroe Iglehart, Brittany Johnson and many more.
Tue Feb. 28 at 10PM on WKAR-HD 23.1
Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Discover the inspiring story of William Still, one of the most important heroes of the Underground Railroad. The documentary blends history, characters and evocative reenactments with sometimes shocking, often touching, accounts from the day.