From documentaries about the Civil Rights Movement to a Tony-awarding winning musical (Great Performances: Memphis on Broadway) to one filmmaker’s examination the month itself (More Than A Month), KCPT’s expansive Black History Month line-up includes a variety of programs profiling the rich history, culture and contributions of African Americans. Check out the complete list of films, accompanying websites and educational resources below.
Resources for Educators and Parents
Developed for educators, PBS LearningMedia is a free, online media-on-demand service featuring photos, video, audio files and more with lesson plans, background essays, and discussion questions. Included in this service are resources related to African-American history, culture and more.
For families, PBS Parents (pbsparents.org) features Embracing Black History, with suggested readings for several age levels, exploring family history, making connections with black history and teaching children about diversity. Another resource on the site, Respecting Differences, presents everyday ideas for teaching children about diversity and respect.
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INDEPENDENT LENS
“DAISY BATES: FIRST LADY OF LITTLE ROCK”
Thursday, February 2 at 10PM
As a black woman who was a feminist before the term was invented, Daisy Bates refused to accept her assigned place in society. Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock tells the story of her life and public support of nine black students who registered to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, which culminated in a constitutional crisis — pitting a president against a governor and a community against itself.
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Educational Resources for Daisy Bates |
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UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:
THE WILLIAM STILL STORY
Monday, February 6 at 9PM
William Still was one of the most important, yet largely unheralded heroes of the Underground Railroad. Hear the story of William Still and explore the major role Canada played in the complex humanitarian enterprise that helped deliver tens of thousands of men, women, and children from bondage. |
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American Experience:
Freedom Riders
Thursday, February 7 at 7PM
Find inspiration in the story of a courageous band of young civil-rights activists who journeyed through the Deep South in 1961 to bring America face-to-face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation.
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Educational Resources for Freedom Riders |
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INDEPENDENT LENS
“THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE 1967-1975″
Thursday, February 9 at 10PM
Take a cinematic and musical journey into the black communities of America, 1967-1975. Combining startlingly fresh and candid 16mm footage that had lain undiscovered in the cellar of Swedish Television for the past 30 years, with contemporary audio interviews from leading African-American artists, activists, musicians and scholars, Mixtape looks at the people, society, culture, and style that fuelled an era of convulsive change. Utilizing an innovative format that riffs on the popular 1970s mixtape format, The Black Power Mixtape is a cinematic and musical journey into the black communities of America.
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Slavery By Another Name
Monday, February 13 at 8PM
SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME challenges one of America’s most cherished assumptions: the belief that slavery in this country ended with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Explore the little-known story of the labor practices and laws that effectively created a new form of slavery in the South that persisted into the 20th century. Slavery By Another Name is a multi-part PBS series based on the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winning book.
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FRONTLINE
“THE INTERRUPTERS”
Follow a group of former gang leaders trying to “interrupt” shootings and protect their communities from the violence they once committed.
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Independent Lens:
More Than a Month
Thursday, February 16 at 10PM
An African-American filmmaker on a cross-country campaign to end Black History Month investigates what the treatment of history tells us about race and equality in a “post-racial” America. On Saturday, February 11 at 11am, KCPT’s Community Cinema will offer a free sneak peek of the film at Tivoli Cinemas in Westport Manor Square.
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Educational Resources for More Than A Month |
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GREAT PERFORMANCES:
MEMPHIS ON BROADWAY
Friday, February 24 at 9PM
Turn back the dial to the 1950s in this Tony Award-winning musical about an interracial couple whose love for music, and each other, is put to the test.
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AMERICAN MASTERS:
Cab Calloway: Sketches
Monday, February 27 at 9PM
An ambassador for his race, Cab Calloway was one of the first black musicians to tour the segregationist South, as early as 1932. Enjoy this lively biography of an exceptional figure in the history of jazz. |
