PBS North Carolina honors the impact and legacy that Black culture has had on our country with powerful documentaries and thought-provoking specials. Explore new specials and rediscover favorites streaming now.
Streaming Now Online and on the PBS Video App
Black Issues Forum
Fridays at 7 PM
Every week, join host Deborah Holt Noel as she welcomes thought leaders, policy influencers, and journalists for diverse conversations that inform and engage viewers on the issues impacting North Carolina’s Black communities today.
Black Issues Forum airs Fridays, 7 PM, on PBS NC and streaming anytime on the PBS Video App.
Knocking Down the Fences | REEL SOUTH
The story of AJ Andrews, the first woman to win a Rawlings Gold Glove.
Shaw Rising
Shaw University, the oldest HBCU in the South, rose to become a co-educational college, a medical school, law school & divinity school
The First Rainbow Coalition
Across lines of race and ethnicity, alliances formed among Chicago activists in the '60s.
Antiques Roadshow: Celebrating Black Americana
ANTIQUES ROADSHOW honors Black History Month with a special episode Celebrating Black Americana.
Say It Loud | Black People Made That! Intellectual Property and US Patents
Black inventors throughout history have navigated a difficult US patent system. At the end of the day, it's all about the benjamins. In this episode, Azie Dungey and Evelyn From The Internets discuss all the creative ways Black people have worked through their intellectual property and how it affects the United States as a whole today.
Freedom Riders
The story behind civil rights activists who challenged segregation in the American South.
Freedom Summer
Shattering the foundations of white supremacy over 10 memorable weeks in 1964.
Policing the Police 2020 | FRONTLINE
George Floyd's killing triggered mass demonstrations nationwide calling for racial justice and police accountability in the United States. In the wake of those protests, New Yorker writer and historian Jelani Cobb returns to a troubled police department he first visited four years ago to examine whether reform can work, and how police departments can be held accountable. Premiered September 15, 2020.
PBS NC Passport Exclusives
Watch more documentary films and series with PBS NC Passport, your member benefit unlocking access to hundreds of exclusive shows. Learn more about PBS NC Passport.
Reconstruction
Explore the transformative years following the American Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction, and revolutionary social change.
The African Americans: Many River to Cross
Chronicling the full sweep of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent right up to today when America remains a nation deeply divided by race.
The Central Park Five
The story of five teenagers who were wrongly convicted in the Central Park Jogger case.
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
Discover the man behind the legend. With full access to the Miles Davis Estate, the film features never-before-seen footage, including studio outtakes from his recording sessions, rare photos and new interviews.
Jackie Robinson
A fierce integrationist, Robinson used his immense fame to speak out against the discrimination he saw on and off the field, angering fans, the press, and even teammates who had once celebrated him for turning the other cheek.
How It Feels To Be Free | American Masters
The inspiring story of how six iconic African American women entertainers challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
Profiles of Prominent North Carolinians
Eva Clayton | Biographical Conversations
On taking her seat in the US House of Representatives in 1992, where she served for five terms, Eva Clayton became the first African American to represent North Carolina in the House since George Henry White was elected to his second and last term in 1898.
Henry Frye | Biographical Conversations
Henry Frye served as the first African American assistant district attorney in the South, and became the first African American to win a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, when he triumphed in the 1968 election.
Harvey Gantt | Biographical Conversations
The first Black mayor of Charlotte, Harvey Gantt was elected to two terms and served from 1983 to 1987.
Julius Chambers | Biographical Conversations
Chambers, a lawyer and civil rights leader, founded the first integrated law practice in North Carolina and served as Director-Counsel of the NAACP.
Howard Lee | Biographical Conversations
Lee served as Mayor of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, from 1969 to 1975. He was the first African American mayor elected in Chapel Hill, and the first African American mayor elected of any majority-white city in the South.
Chuck Davis | Biographical Conversations
A dancer and choreographer whose work focused on traditional African dance, Davis was the founder of DanceAfrica, the Chuck Davis Dance Company and the African American Dance Ensemble.
Nina Simone's Birthplace: A National Treasure
Tryon, North Carolina is the birthplace of legendary songstress and High Priest of Soul Nina Simone. On June 19, 2018 the National Trust designated it a National Treasure, celebrating with tours of the home while local artists Yolanda Rabun, Mary D. Williams, Carly Jones, and others honored Ms. Simone through song. This feature from Black Issues Forum shares highlights from the event and background of Nina Simone.
