Celebrate Black History Month with WKAR-TV!
Check out a variety of Black History Month specials on WKAR-HD 23.1 and WKAR WORLD 23.2
WKAR-HD 23.1 Listings
2 | Fri
9:00 American Masters: Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll
"When I first heard Tutti Frutti, my heart nearly burst with excitement. The music filled the room with energy and color and outrageous defiance. I had heard God." -David Bowie. It's time. Little Richard is a legend from the golden era of rock. Richard is the cultural lightning rod who influenced some of rock music's most distinguished icons who will join us to validate Richard's unquestionable role in rock history: Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. As Richard boastfully claims, "I am The King and Queen of Rock and Roll."
6 | Tue
8:00 Finding Your Roots: Far and Away
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of journalist Sunny Hostin and actor Jesse Williams -- introducing them to ancestors from very diverse places.
9:00 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.
9 | Fri
9:00 Gospel Live! Presented By Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
GOSPEL Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a concert celebration honoring the legacy of Gospel music in America. As a companion to GOSPEL, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., secular and gospel artists sing their favorite gospel classics.
10:00 Gospel Live! Presented By Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
GOSPEL Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is a concert celebration honoring the legacy of Gospel music in America. As a companion to GOSPEL, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., secular and gospel artists sing their favorite gospel classics.
13 | Tue
8:00 Finding Your Roots: The Brick Wall Falls
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actor Danielle Brooks and singer Dionne Warwick to their distant ancestors -- breaking down the barriers imposed by slavery.
9:00 Gospel: Take The Message Everywhere/Gospel's Second Century
15 | Thu
9:30 Under The Radar Michigan: Detroit
On this episode or UTR we're back in the Motor City for more dynamic Detroit doings. First you'll see someone who makes a great neighborhood pie ... you'll wanna try. Then we tour one of the city's iconic giant gems. We'll even quiz your mind at Detroit Mercy, show you Shakespere in a park and run a little red rabble-rouser outa town. Get ready to explore the cool people, places and things that make Michigan a great place to be.
16 | Fri
10:30 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.
19 | Mon
10:00 Independent Lens: Breaking The News
A scrappy group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists buck the white male-dominated status quo, banding together to launch the 19th*, a digital news startup aiming to combat misinformation and include the voices often left out of the American story.
20 | Tue
8:00 Finding Your Roots: Mean Streets
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of comedian Tracy Morgan and actor Anthony Ramos -- taking the two New York City natives far from their hometown.
24 | Sat
10:00 70s Soul Superstars (My Music)
Join Patti LaBelle for an all-star reunion of the legends of 1970s Motown, R&B and soul, including the Commodores, original lead Eugene Record reuniting with the Chi-Lites, the Stylistics, Yvonne Elliman, Heatwave, the Trammps and the Emotions.
27 | Tue
11:30 Ken Burns: The Civil War
Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the landmark series in September 2015 with this in-depth overview of the iconic documentary. See video clips and interviews with Ken Burns, Geoffrey Ward, Ric Burns, Buddy Squires and others.
WKAR WORLD 23.2 Listings
1 | Thu
8:00 Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings 1954-1956
Individual acts of courage inspire black Southerners to fight for their rights: Mose Wright testifies against the white men who murdered young Emmett Till and Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.
9:00 Eyes on the Prize: Fighting Back 1957-1962
States' rights loyalists and federal authorities collide in the 1957 battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High School and in James Meredith's 1962 challenge to segregation at the University of Mississippi.
2 | Fri
9:30 Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders
In 1967, inner city Pittsburgh produced America's first EMT service. Comprised solely of Black men and women recruited from the city's Hill District neighborhood, the paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital and CPR care. Freedom House initially developed to respond to the needs of Pittsburgh's African American community, which often could not rely on police and fire departments during an emergency. Their groundbreaking work became the basis for all paramedic training in the country. However, despite its success, racism and power dynamics in the city shut down Freedom House in 1975, leaving its legacy almost lost to history. FREEDOM HOUSE AMBULANCE: THE FIRST RESPONDERS explores the rise and fall of Freedom House Ambulance.
3 | Sat
8:00 Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song: Part 1
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of African American religion beginning with the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the extraordinary ways enslaved Africans preserved and adapted faith practices from the brutality of slavery to emancipation.
10:00 Eyes on the Prize: Awakenings 1954-1956
Individual acts of courage inspire black Southerners to fight for their rights: Mose Wright testifies against the white men who murdered young Emmett Till and Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama.
11:00 Eyes on the Prize: Fighting Back 1957-1962
States' rights loyalists and federal authorities collide in the 1957 battle to integrate Little Rock's Central High School and in James Meredith's 1962 challenge to segregation at the University of Mississippi.
4 | Sun
10:00 American Masters: Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll
"When I first heard Tutti Frutti, my heart nearly burst with excitement. The music filled the room with energy and color and outrageous defiance. I had heard God." -David Bowie. It's time. Little Richard is a legend from the golden era of rock. Richard is the cultural lightning rod who influenced some of rock music's most distinguished icons who will join us to validate Richard's unquestionable role in rock history: Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. As Richard boastfully claims, "I am The King and Queen of Rock and Roll."
7 | Wed
8:00 Can We All Get Along? The Segregation of John Muir High School
At his 30th high school reunion filmmaker Pablo Miralles questions what has happened to his once integrated public high school in Pasadena, CA. Interviewing past and present teachers and students, Miralles begins to understand how perceptions and policies have created almost insurmountable challenges to maintaining well-funded and diverse public schools. (The school is known for having famous alum such as Jackie Robinson, David Lee Roth, Octavia Butler and Rodney King.)
8 | Thu
8:00 Eyes on the Prize: Ain't Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961
Black college students take a leadership role in the civil rights movement as lunch counter sit-ins spread across the South. "Freedom Riders" also try to desegregate interstate buses, but they are brutally attacked as they travel.
9:00 Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk 1961-1963
The civil rights movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as its most visible leader. The triumphant March on Washington shows a mounting national support for civil rights.
9 | Fri
8:30 Independent Lens: Coded Bias
When MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini discovers most facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces or women with accuracy, she joins the fight to expose the threats to civil liberties posed by an increasingly data-driven, automated world.
10 | Sat
8:00 Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song: Part 2
Discover how the Black church expanded its reach to address social inequality and minister to those in need, from the Jim Crow South to the heroic phase of the civil rights movement, and the Black church's role in the present.
10:00 Eyes on the Prize: Ain't Scared of Your Jails 1960-1961
Black college students take a leadership role in the civil rights movement as lunch counter sit-ins spread across the South. "Freedom Riders" also try to desegregate interstate buses, but they are brutally attacked as they travel.
11:00 Eyes on the Prize: No Easy Walk 1961-1963
The civil rights movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations as Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as its most visible leader. The triumphant March on Washington shows a mounting national support for civil rights.
11 | Sun
9:00 Finding Your Roots: Far and Away
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the roots of journalist Sunny Hostin and actor Jesse Williams -- introducing them to ancestors from very diverse places.
10:00 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.
12 | Mon
8:00 Niagara Movement: The Early Battle for Civil Rights
THE NIAGARA MOVEMENT: THE EARLY BATTLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS is a one-hour documentary focused on the formation and impact of the first civil rights movement of the 20th century. The program traces the social and economic conditions of African Americans at the turn of the 20th century, examines the different strategies for racial advancement led by Black leaders of the time, explores the creation of the Niagara Movement, and places the movement's legacy into a contemporary context.
9:00 Hbcu Week: Beyond The Field: Firsthand: Segregation
In Chicago, segregation has a profound impact. From disparities in housing, education and healthcare to economic inequality, FIRSTHAND: SEGREGATION illustrates the high cost of division, not just in dollars, but in lives lost and unrealized potential. Through stories, witness the power of individuals to effect positive change as residents strive for a more integrated and equitable community.
14 | Wed
8:00 Go-Go City: Displacement and Protest In Washington, DC
For decades, Washington, D.C. has been a beacon for Black culture and community. Now, a wave of economic and cultural gentrification occurring at breakneck speed threatens to erase this history. GO-GO CITY: DISPLACEMENT AND PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC explores this rich and colorful tapestry and the forces behind the gentrification that stand to mute it. Featuring interviews with legends of Go-Go such as Big Tony of Trouble Funk and business leaders Richard 'Dickie' Shannon of Horace and Dickie's, the film offers a historical overview of the cultural and economic forces that made Washington, D.C., "Chocolate City." The film also follows protesters for racial justice as they took to the District's streets in the summer of 2020 and tells how Go-Go music took on another life as an agent for change. GO-GO CITY also documents a poetic moment in which the long-term citizens of Washington, D.C.
9:00 Black Fire Documentary
THE BLACK FIRE DOCUMENTARY uncovers Washington, DC's music and cultural heritage by highlighting the music, message, and art of the people behind Black Fire Records a Black-owned independent jazz record label started in Chocolate City, aka the nation's capital in the 1970s.
15 | Thu
8:00 Eyes on the Prize: Mississippi: Is This America? 1963-1964
Mississippi's civil rights movement becomes an American concern when students travel south to help register black voters and three of them are murdered. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenges the regular delegation at the convention.
9:00 Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965
A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic and bloody march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A major victory is won when the federal Voting Rights Bill passes, but civil rights leaders know they have new challenges ahead.
16 | Fri
8:30 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.
17 | Sat
8:00 Gospel: The Gospel Train/Golden Age of Gospel
10:00 Eyes on the Prize: Mississippi: Is This America? 1963-1964
Mississippi's civil rights movement becomes an American concern when students travel south to help register black voters and three of them are murdered. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenges the regular delegation at the convention.
11:00 Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965
A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic and bloody march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A major victory is won when the federal Voting Rights Bill passes, but civil rights leaders know they have new challenges ahead.
18 | Sun
9:00 Finding Your Roots: The Brick Wall Falls
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. introduces actor Danielle Brooks and singer Dionne Warwick to their distant ancestors -- breaking down the barriers imposed by slavery.
10:00 American Masters: Roberta
Follow the music icon from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. From "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" to "Killing Me Softly," Flack's virtuosity was inseparable from her commitment to civil rights. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack's archives and interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Peabo Bryson and more.
11:30 Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders
In 1967, inner city Pittsburgh produced America's first EMT service. Comprised solely of Black men and women recruited from the city's Hill District neighborhood, the paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital and CPR care. Freedom House initially developed to respond to the needs of Pittsburgh's African American community, which often could not rely on police and fire departments during an emergency. Their groundbreaking work became the basis for all paramedic training in the country. However, despite its success, racism and power dynamics in the city shut down Freedom House in 1975, leaving its legacy almost lost to history. FREEDOM HOUSE AMBULANCE: THE FIRST RESPONDERS explores the rise and fall of Freedom House Ambulance.
19 | Mon
8:00 Wes Bound: The Genius of Wes Montgomery
WES BOUND: THE GENIUS OF WES MONTGOMERY is an hour-long documentary tracing the life and career of legendary jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery. Told intimately through his son Robert's own journey of discovery, the program explores Wes' early years in Indiana, his rise to fame with the Lionel Hampton Big Band, his notable solo career, and his tragic death at age 45. The film features numerous rarely-seen performances, as well as interviews with music historians from across the country and guitar luminaries such as Pat Metheny and Slash.
9:00 Hbcu Week: Beyond The Field: Hbcu Week: Beyond The Field
HBCU Week: BEYOND THE FIELD takes you inside the heart of HBCUs. Experience the CIAA in Maryland, a cornerstone of Black athletics history, and feel the electrifying atmosphere of Louisiana's Bayou Classic - an annual showdown between Grambling State and Southern University. The episode offers a unique look beyond sports, highlighting the culture, history, and community spirit that define HBCUs.
20 | Tue
9:00 Nova: Lee and Liza's Family Tree
With the help of scientists and genealogists, filmmaker Byron Hurt and his family members search for their ancestors. Follow their journey as they hunt for new details of a history long obscured by the enduring legacy of slavery.
22 | Thu
8:00 Eyes on the Prize: The Time Has Come 1964-1966
After a decade-long cry for justice, a new sound is heard in the civil rights movement: the insistent call for power. "BlackPower!" replaces "Freedom Now!" as the fabric of the traditional movement changes.
9:00 Eyes on the Prize: Two Societies 1965-1968
King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference help Chicago's civil rights leaders in the struggle against segregated housing. The Kerner Commission finds that America is becoming "two societies, one black, one white, separate and unequal."
23 | Fri
8:30 Where I Became
WHERE I BECAME traces the story of 14 women who left apartheid in South Africa to attend Smith College in the U.S. The film, narrated in their own voices and filmed between South Africa and the U.S., follows their stories from childhood to discovering themselves through the power of higher education.
24 | Sat
8:00 Gospel: Take The Message Everywhere/Gospel's Second Century
In GOSPEL's hour 3, gospel family dynasties dominate the charts while other children of the church use their musical prowess to influence soul music. Black pastors also distinguish their sound with prophetic voices and sermonettes.
25 | Sun
11:30 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.