In This Issue
•Programming in February honors Black History Month
•THE TALK—RACE IN AMERICA includes a segment about the events surrounding the police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland in 2014
•Find more Black History Month programs on our Fusion channel (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2)
•Check out this month’s complete history programming on Western Reserve PBS and Fusion
Volume 14 Issue 2 February 2017
Western Reserve PBS • P.O. Box 5191 • Kent OH 44240-5191 • Call us at 1-800-554-4549 • Visit us online at www.WesternReservePBS.org
Support Western Reserve PBS!
Quality history programs abound on Western Reserve PBS! Please support our efforts by becoming a member. Call 1-800-554-4549 or visit http://WesternReservePBS.org/join.htm.
Honoring Black History MonthAmerican Masters, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8 pmRepeats Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 2 am
Also airs on Fusion on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 pm; Sunday, Feb. 26, at 2 pm; and Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 pm
Distinctly referred to as “a redwood tree, with deep roots in American culture,” Dr. Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928-May 28, 2014) led a prolific life. As a singer, dancer, activist, poet and writer, she inspired generations with lyrical modern African American thought that pushed boundaries.
Best known for her autobiography “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” she gave people the freedom to think about their history in a way they never had before. With unprecedented access, filmmakers Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack trace Dr. Angelou’s incredible journey, shedding light on the untold aspects of her life through never-before-seen footage, rare archival photographs and videos and her own words.
From her upbringing in the Depression-era South and her early performing career to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana and her many writing successes, including her inaugural poem for President Bill Clinton, this AMERICAN MASTERS production reveals hidden facets of Angelou’s life during some of America’s most defining moments.
The film also features exclusive interviews with Angelou, her friends and family, including Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Common, Alfre Woodard, Cicely Tyson, Quincy Jones and more.
Find more Black History Month programming on pages 2-3.
American Masters, Alice Walker: Beauty in TruthSaturday, Feb. 4, at 7 pm
Writer-activist Alice Walker made history as the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her seminal novel “The Color Purple.”
This film explores Walker’s relationship with her mother, poverty and participation in the Civil Rights Movement, which were the formative influences on her consciousness and became the inherent themes in her writing.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8 pmRepeats Wednesday, Feb. 15, and Thursday, Feb. 16, at midnight
This two-part, four-hour documentary series hosted, executive produced and written by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., looks at the last 50 years of African-American history. From Dr. King to Barack Obama, from James Brown’s “I’m Black and I’m Proud” to Beyoncé’s “Formation,” it charts the remarkable progress black people have made, raising hard questions about the obstacles that remain.
The series begins at the point where the story we Americans tell about ourselves becomes complicated. Almost every schoolchild today learns about the civil rights movement—about how our nation moved itself forward, against the will of many, out of a shameful past. Yet what has happened since?
And here, the series steps out of the sanctified past and into the complex, raw, conflicted present. How did we end up here, when half a century ago racial equality seemed imminent—even inevitable?
The Talk—Race in AmericaMonday, Feb. 20, at 9 pmRepeats Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 3 am
Also airs on Fusion on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 3 pm
This two-hour documentary explores the increasingly common conversation taking place in homes and communities across the country between parents of color and their children, especially sons, about how to behave if they are ever stopped by the police.
The film presents six personal stories to illustrate the issue from multiple points of view: parent, child, the police and the community. Filmed across the country, in communities including Long Beach, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; St. Louis, Mo.,; Richland County, S.C.; Memphis, Tenn.; and Cleveland, Ohio, the stories include interviews with academics, police force members, community activists and family members.
Among those profiled is Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, who was a 12-year-old boy killed by the Cleveland police while playing with a toy gun in a local park.
Honoring Black History Month Black History Month programming on Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2)
American Masters, B.B. King: The Life of RileySaturday, Feb. 4, at 9 pmRepeats Sunday, Feb. 5, at 4 pm and Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 7 pm
B.B. King was one of the most influential and celebrated blues musicians of all time. From his roots as a sharecropper’s son, he rose to become a living legend, earning the moniker “King of the Blues.”
King’s story explores his challenging life and career through candid interviews with the man himself, his family, longtime friends and fellow music contemporaries including Bono, George Benson, Eric Clapton and Aaron Neville.
History Circle Community CalendarAntique Motorcycle Exhibit— National Packard Museum Through May 27 1899 Mahoning Ave. NW, Warren. The museum’s 17th annual antique motorcycle exhibit, entitled “British Invasion,” serves to educate audiences about motorcycle history and to raise awareness of the significance of the motorcycle to transportation history. For more information, call 330-394-1899 or visit www.packardmuseum.org.
Medieval to Metal: The Art and Evolution of the Guitar—The Butler Institute of American Art Through April 17 524 Wick Ave., Youngstown. View this touring exhibition of The National Guitar Museum that explores the artistic evolution of the world’s most popular musical instrument. It features 40 instruments spanning centuries of craftsmanship and design from around the world. For more information, visit www.butlerart.com.
Shen Yun—The Ohio Falun Dafa Association Saturday, Feb. 4, and Sunday, Feb. 5 State Theatre, 1519 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Experience the divine culture of a lost world as the world’s premier classical Chinese dance and music company brings a lost world to life with unrivaled artistic mastery. For more information, contact Shen Yun Ticketing at 800-974-3698 or State Theatre at 216-241-6000.
The Firebird—Akron Symphony Orchestra Friday, Feb. 10, at 8 pm EJ Thomas Performing Arts Hall, 198 Hill St. Akron. “The Firebird” has astonished audiences since its sensational 1910 Paris premiere. Its emotional impact stems from lush Russian melodies set against propulsive rhythms and explosive orchestral effects. Tickets on sale at akronsymphony.org.
Reflections of Italy—Western Reserve PBS Oct. 4-13, 2017 In cooperation with Collette Tours, we are sponsoring a trip to one of the most romantic places in the world, with stops in Rome, Venice, Siena, Florence, Milan and more! For more information, call 1-800-554-4549 or visit westernreservepublicmedia.org.
Deep City: The Birth of the Miami SoundSunday, Feb. 5, at 7 pmRepeats Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8:30 pm
During the mid-1960s, producers Willie Clarke and Johnny Pearsall masterminded Deep City Records, the first black-owned record label in Florida.
With its unique blend of Caribbean rhythm and marching-band cadences, this label was churning out the best soul music south of the Mason Dixon Line. DEEP CITY: THE BIRTH OF THE MIAMI SOUND acknowledges this label as a milestone in musical history.
Black BallerinaTuesday, Feb. 7, at 10 pmRepeats Saturday, Feb. 18, at 9 pm
Set in the overwhelmingly white world of classical dance, BLACK BALLERINA tells the stories of several black women from different generations who fell in love with ballet.
Sixty years ago, while pursuing their dreams of careers in classical dance, Joan Myers Brown, Delores Browne and Raven Wilkinson confronted racism, exclusion and unequal opportunity in segregated mid-century America.
In 2015, three young black women also pursue careers as ballerinas and find that many of the same obstacles their predecessors faced are still evident.
Black Women in MedicineSaturday, Feb. 11, at noon
This film chronicles the unsung journeys of black female doctors who have risen above inequality to excellence to become leaders in their fields. It explores race and gender inequities impacting the contemporary physician workforce, while paying tribute to pioneers in the field.
Its hope is to replace negative imagery—the mainstream media’s false and debasing histroical narrative regarding race, ethnicity, gender and character—with positive images of successful black female doctors.
Independent Lens, Birth of a MovementMonday, Feb. 6, at 10 pmRepeats Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1 pm
Over 100 years after the release of D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation,” which depicted the KKK as heroes and African Americans in the most racist caricatures imaginable, the battle to assert African Americans’ rightful place in both civil society and popular culture continues.
This documentary traces the line between Griffith’s controversial epic and Hollywood’s continued legacy of misrepresentation and negative racial stereotypes.
Black History Month programming on Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2)
Western Reserve Public Media 1750 Campus Center Dr. P.O. Box 5191 Kent, OH 44240-5191 1-800-554-4549
february 2017 • History Programming
Secrets of Underground LondonWednesday, Feb. 1, at 2 am
American Experience, Race UndergroundWednesday, Feb. 1, at 3 am
History DetectivesSundays at 5 am (preempted 2/19)
American Experience, Oklahoma CityTuesday, Feb. 7, at 9 pmWednesday, Feb. 8, at 3 am
Black America Since MLK: And Still I RiseFriday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11,
at 8 pmWednesday, Feb. 15, and Thursday,
Feb. 16, at midnight
Tales from the Royal WardrobeSunday, Feb. 12, at 10 pmMonday, Feb. 13, at 4 am
Ken Burns: The Civil WarTuesday, Feb. 14, at 8 pmSaturday, Feb. 18, at 11 am
Tales from the Royal BedchamberSunday, Feb. 19, at 10 pmMonday, Feb. 20, at 4 am
The Talk—Race in AmericaMonday, Feb. 20, at 9 pmTuesday, Feb. 21, at 3 am
American Masters, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 8 pmWednesday, Feb. 22, at 2 am
P B SA service of Western Reserve Public Media A service of Western Reserve Public Media
American Experience, Race Underground
Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 pm
Secrets of the Six WivesFridays, Feb. 3-17, at 8 pmSundays, Feb. 5-12, at 3 pm
American Masters, Sidney LumetSaturday, Feb. 4, at 2 pm
American Masters, Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth
Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 pm
American Masters, B.B. KingSaturday, Feb. 4, at 9 pmSunday, Feb. 5, at 4 pmTuesday, Feb. 7, at 7 pm
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band
Saturday, Feb. 4, at 10 pm
Deep City: The Birth of the Miami Sound
Sunday, Feb. 5, at 7 pmSaturday, Feb. 11, at 8:30 pm
Independent Lens, Birth of a Movement
Monday, Feb. 6, at 10 pmSaturday, Feb. 11, at 1 pm
Black BallerinaTuesday, Feb. 7, at 10 pmSaturday, Feb. 18, at 9 pm
Finding Your RootsFridays, Feb. 10-17, at 7 pmSaturdays, Feb. 11-18, at 4 pm
Black Women in MedicineSaturday, Feb. 11, at noon
American Experience, Oklahoma CitySaturday, Feb. 11, at 2 pm
Road Kid to Writer: The Tracks of Jim Tully
Wednesday, Feb. 15, at 10 pmSaturday, Feb. 18, at 3 pm
Tales from the Royal WardrobeSunday, Feb. 19, at 3 pm
American Masters, Maya Angelou And Still I Rise
Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 pmSunday, Feb. 26, at 2 pmTuesday, Feb. 28, at 7 pm
The Talk—Race in AmericaSaturday, Feb. 25, at 3 pm
Tales from the Royal BedchamberSunday, Feb. 26, at 4 pm
Malcolm Frager: American PianistMonday, Feb. 27, at 8:30 pm
