Across PBS Platforms, Programs Showcase the Enduring Cultural Legacy and Impact of African Americans
ARLINGTON, VA (January 13, 2023) – Today, PBS announces new specials, broadcast and digital programming to commemorate Black History Month as part of its continued commitment to showcasing diverse stories and storytellers and to growing new audiences across platforms.
“PBS is passionate about celebrating the many voices, innovations and accomplishments of our diverse communities year-round and providing a platform where all Americans can see themselves reflected,” said Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “We are excited for the return ofTHE BLOCKPARTY, a special streaming collection and social campaign amplifying Black stories from across PBS platforms, as well as new digital-only and broadcast premieres, including the return of fan-favorite FINDING YOUR ROOTS.”
This year PBS is expanding its streaming offerings with the return ofTHE BLOCK PARTY, a streaming collection and social campaign presented by PBS’sBlack Culture Connection. Aiming to amplify Black stories and content across PBS’s platforms through curated collections and original bonus content, the campaign originally launched in 2022 on PBS.org and the PBS app.
Below is the schedule of new Black History Month 2023 programming on PBS (check local listings). All titles are also available for streaming on pbs.org and the PBS App, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
On Monday, January 16, 10:00-11:30 p.m. ET, INDEPENDENT LENS will premiere “The Big Payback,” a film following the passage of the first-ever reparations for slavery bill in Illinois, which stirs up a national debate. On Monday, January 23, 10:00 - 11:30 p.m. ET, INDEPENDENT LENS presents “No Straight Lines,” following five queer comic book artists as they journey from the underground comix scene to mainstream acceptance, and on Monday, January 30, 10:00 -11:30 p.m. ET, “The Picture Taker,” a film introducing audiences to Ernest Withers, an iconic African American civil rights photographer and FBI informant. On Monday, February 6, 10:00 - 11:30 p.m. ET, INDEPENDENT LENS“Outta the Muck” makes its debut. The film features the people of Pahokee as they rise “outta the muck” to celebrate family history and big-time football.
On Tuesday, January 17, 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET, FINDING YOUR ROOTS premieres “Secret Lives” as part of the program’s ninth season. In the episode, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. connects with comediennes Niecy Nash and Carol Burnett to explore deep family secrets. On Tuesday, January 31, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET, the new FINDING YOUR ROOTS episode “Rising from the Ashes” premieres featuring Viola Davis and Brian Cox, andon Tuesday, February 21, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET, “And Still I Rise” with Angela Davis and Jeh Johnson airs. On March 28, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET, Van Jones is a featured participant in the new episode titled “Anchormen,” and on April 4, 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. ET, Tamera Mowry-Housley is a featured participant in the new episode titled “Out of the Past.”
On Tuesday, January 17, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE will premiere “Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space,” at 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET , a new biography of the influential author whose groundbreaking anthropological work would challenge assumptions about race, gender and cultural superiority that had long defined the field in the 19th century.
On Tuesday, January 24, 9:00-10:30 p.m. ET, AMERICAN MASTERS presents “Roberta Flack,”a film following the music icon from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. Then, on Friday, January 27, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET, NEXT AT THE KENNEDY CENTER “The Roots Residency” features electrifying performances of the hip hop legends The Roots during their residency at The Kennedy Center.
PBS’s new documentary series marks the 50th anniversary of hip hop music in 2023. Airing Tuesdays, January 31 - February 21, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET is FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD. The series, authored by Public Enemy’s Chuck D., is an incredible narrative of struggle, triumph and resistance brought to life through the lens of the art form that has chronicled the emotions, experiences and expressions of Black and Brown communities.
On Wednesday, February 8, 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET, NOVApresents “Star Chasers of Senegal”, a film following a team of Senegalese scientists as they set out to capture crucial data needed to help NASA navigate its Lucy mission and its asteroid targets across millions of miles of space.
On Friday, February 24, 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET, GREAT PERFORMANCES presents “The Magic of Spirituals,”a glimpse behind the curtain at opera stars Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman’s famed 1990 concert.
In February, BLACK BROADWAY: A PROUD HISTORY, A LIMITLESS FUTURE, will be available for streaming and through PBS stations (check local listings). The new concert special celebrates iconic stage performances made famous by Black artists and features the best of the current generation of Black Broadway stars. Performing classics from The Wiz, The Color Purple, Company, Porgy & Bess, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and more, the cast is joined by multiple guest conductors and a choir of students from Howard University and Morgan State University.
PBS Digital Studios is also launching two new web series in January and February, “Hip Hop and The Metaverse” and “Ritual”onPBS Voices, a documentary-focused YouTube channel. These news series, funded by theCorporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and featuring Black stories and hosts, will also be included in The Block Party and the PBS Digital Studios Black History Month playlist on YouTube.
Additional programming, including encore specials, will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS App.
About PBS
PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 120 million people through television and 26 million people online, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature and public affairs; to hear diverse viewpoints; and to take front row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. Decades of research confirms that PBS’s premier children’s media service, PBS KIDS, helps children build critical literacy, math and social-emotional skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality educational content on TV — including a 24/7 channel — online at pbskids.org, via an array of mobile apps and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at pbs.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, or by following PBS on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on Twitter.
About PBS Digital Studios
PBS Digital Studios produces original, digital programming designed to engage, enlighten, and entertain online audiences. The PBS Digital Studios network has more than 30 million subscribers on YouTube, generating an average of 50 million views each month. In 10 years, it has launched over 70 original series and has accumulated over four billion lifetime views on YouTube. Series include the Webby Award-winningBE SMART andSOUND FIELD, as well as popular series such asWEATHERED,EONS,MONSTRUM andPBS SPACE TIME. For more information on PBS Digital Studios,visitPBS.org.
