An Answer from Akron

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 9 PM

Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 2 AM

Friday, Feb. 11, at 5 PM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 PM

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 4 PM

AN ANSWER FROM AKRON tells how local members of Alpha Phi Alpha combatted racial barriers and ultimately succeeded in building affordable housing for those in need. While similar projects in other cities have failed and been demolished, those in Akron continue to thrive and serve their original purpose.

Soul Legends 

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Friday, Feb. 4, at 9 PM

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 6 PM

Join host Pam Grier in a tribute to the greatest soul hits and performers from the 1970s and ‘80s. Features classics by The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Bill Withers, The Spinners, Isaac Hayes, Minnie Riperton and more.

Historic Attucks Theatre: Apollo of the South

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 5, at 2:30 PM

Attucks Theatre in Virginia, one of the Hampton Roads area’s greatest treasures, turns 100 years old. Musicians of the greatest caliber have performed at the Attucks, including Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. The 600-seat venue was an instant source of pride to Norfolk’s Black community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

American Masters, Sammy Davis, Jr.

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 5, at 9 PM

Explore the entertainer's vast talent and journey for identity through the shifting tides of civil rights and racial progress during 20th-century America. Features Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, and clips from his TV, film and concert performances.

Reconstruction: America After the Civil War 

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 10 AM

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 1:30 PM

Join Henry Louis Gates Jr. for this exploration of the transformative years following the Civil War, when the nation struggled to rebuild itself in the face of profound loss, massive destruction and revolutionary social change.

Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 3:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 7, at 9:30 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 2:30 AM

Monday, Feb. 21, at 5:30 PM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 10:30 PM

Friday, Feb. 11, at 8:30 PM

BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME: JOURNEY TO CANTON tells the story of the formation of Black college football, the contributions that players from historically Black colleges and universities have made to the NFL, the founding of its hall of fame and why the hall is in the unexpected location of Canton.

American Masters, Althea

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 6 PM

Friday, Feb. 25, at 8 PM

Discover the story of Althea Gibson, who emerged as the unlikely queen of the segregated tennis world of the 1950s. She was the first African American to play and win Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals. Features Billie Jean King and David Dinkins.

Forum 360, Kent State University–Textures Exhibition

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Monday, Feb. 7, at 5 PM

Forum 360 host Leia' Love explores The Kent State University Museum exhibition, TEXTURES: THE HISTORY AND ART OF BLACK HAIR. She speaks with Kent State University faculty and co-curators, Dr. Joseph L. Underwood, Assistant Professor of Art History and Dr. Tameka N. Ellington, former Interim Assistant Dean of the College of the Arts and Associate Professor of Fashion Design.

Kindred Spirits

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 7, at 8:30 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 10:30 PM

Saturday, Feb. 26, at 2:30 PM

Lilian Thomas Burwell recounts the life story of her aunt, unsung artist and educator Hilda Wilkinson Brown, and the influence she had on Burwell’s own career as an abstract expressionist artist. Their lives, works of art and sources of inspiration are presented against the backdrop of a segregated society where marginalized Black artists created their own venues to exhibit their work.

Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Monday, Feb. 7, at 9 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 2 AM

Sunday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 PM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 10 PM

Friday, Feb. 11, at 8 PM

In 1946, Canton native Marion Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This local production tells the Canton native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.

Independent Lens, Owned: A Tale of Two Americas*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 7, at 10 PM

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 1 PM

Is the “American Dream” of homeownership a false promise? While the government’s post-war housing policy created the world’s largest middle class, it also set America on two divergent paths—one of perceived wealth and the other of systematically defunded, segregated communities.

American Masters, Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 9 PM

Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 2 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 7 PM

Sunday, Feb. 13, at 5 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 8 PM

Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department.

American Experience, Jesse Owens

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 9 PM

Friday, Feb. 25, at 7 PM

The most famous athlete of his time, Jesse Owens’ stunning triumph at the 1936 Olympic Games captivated the world even as it infuriated the Nazis. Despite enduring racial slurs, Owens ran with grace and athleticism that rallied crowds across the globe. But when the four-time Olympic gold medalist returned home, he could not even ride in the front of a bus. This story of the 22-year-old son of a sharecropper who triumphed over adversity to become a hero and world champion is also about the elusive, fleeting quality of fame and the way Americans idolize athletes when they suit our purpose and forget them once they don't.

Secrets of the Dead, The Woman in the Iron Coffin

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 10 PM

Thursday, Feb. 10, at 3 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 10, at 7 PM

Follow a team of forensic experts as they investigate the preserved remains of a young African American woman from 19th century New York and reveal the little-known story of early America’s free Black communities.

Beyond the Baton: A Conductor’s Journey*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Thursday, Feb. 10, at 5 PM

Sunday, Feb. 13, at 5 AM

Monday, Feb. 21, at 3 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 6, at 5 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 8 PM

Born to a single mother on welfare, Thomas Wilkins grew up to become one of the few remarkable African American conductors leading a major orchestra— the celebrated Omaha Symphony. BEYOND THE BATON: A CONDUCTOR’S JOURNEY is an hour-long film that documents Wilkins’ experience as a Black conductor and his larger impact on the musical world.

Songs at the Center: Celebrating Black History Month*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 10, at 8 PM

Sunday, Feb. 27, at 7:30 PM

Talented African American Singer-Songwriters perform their own original compositions across a wide variety of styles, describe their creative processes and discuss the inevitable struggles they've overcome. Historical references and facts about Black History Month are woven throughout the show. 

American Masters, Charley Pride

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 10, at 9 PM

Sunday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 PM

Explore the complicated history of the American South and its music through the life of country star Charley Pride. Raised in segregated Mississippi, his journey shows the ways that artistic expression can triumph over prejudice and injustice.

The Civic Life of Nathaniel Colley

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 2:30 PM

Nathaniel Colley, one of Sacramento's earliest African American lawyers, spent 50 years advocating for justice and equality. His passion for education and civil rights brought him together with John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Rosa Parks, Edmund “Pat” Brown and Bill Clinton. 

American Experience, Freedom Riders

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 12, at 9 PM

This is the powerful, harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 Black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws in order to test and challenge a segregated interstate travel system, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism.

Just a Mortal Man—The Jerry Lawson Story*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 13, at 7 PM

Thursday, Feb. 17, at 8:30 PM

A documentary about the founder and original lead singer of the legendary singing group The Persuasions.

Training for Freedom*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Monday, Feb. 14, at 9 PM*

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 2 AM

Sunday, Feb. 20, at 7:30 PM

Monday, Feb. 21, at 5 PM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 PM

Friday, Feb. 18, at 8 PM

Premiering exclusively on PBS Western Reserve, TRAINING FOR FREEDOM weaves intimate personal stories from participants and local residents with critical historical analysis from noted historians and scholars. It explores how people from dramatically different worlds broke down barriers of race, class and gender to organize the most comprehensive campaign of the civil rights movement.

Finding Fellowship*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 14, at 9 PM

Saturday, Feb. 26, at 4 PM

Learn how the seeds for potential reconciliation were planted in the same fields where slave masters once terrorized. This film shares how one community came together in the wake of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination and offers an example of how communities can lean on their shared heritage to progress.

Nick Cave, Summit Lake: Heard

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Monday, Feb. 14, at 9:30 PM

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10:30 PM

Friday, Feb. 18, at 8:30 PM

This PBS Western Reserve production promises an explosion of color through artist Nick Cave’s signature life-sized, dancing horses—each composed of two dancers—with choreography by William Gill. It also provides a behind-the-scenes look at one community’s commitment toward making their voices heard.

American Experience, The American Diplomat*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 9 PM

Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 2 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 19, at 4 PM

Monday, Feb. 21, at 9 PM

This one-hour historical documentary examines the experience of African American diplomats serving during the Cold War. At the height of the civil rights movement in the United States, these men represented the best of American ideals abroad while facing discrimination at home. Colloquially referred to as “male, pale and Yale,” the State Department fiercely maintained and cultivated the Foreign Service’s elite character and was one of the last federal agencies to truly desegregate.

Frontline, American Reckoning*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 10 PM

Friday, Feb. 18, at 5 PM

An unsolved 1960s murder reveals an untold story of the civil rights movement and Black resistance. This film draws on rarely seen footage filmed more than 50 years ago in Natchez, Miss., and follows one family's search for justice.

Irma: My Life in Music*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 17, at 7 PM

Monday, Feb. 28, at 8:30 PM

This 90-minute biography is the story of Irma Thomas, “Soul Queen of New Orleans.” Although Thomas didn’t experience the same kind of commercial success as her contemporaries Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight, her impact on R&B music is just as great. The program features archival concert and interview footage culled from decades of performances filmed at The New Orleans Jazz Heritage Festival.

Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 9 PM

Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 1:30 AM

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 26, at 9 PM

Monday, Feb. 28, at 10 PM

Learn the story of fearless Mississippi sharecropper-turned-human-rights-activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who delivered heart-wrenching testimony before the 1964 Democratic National Convention’s Credentials Committee. As significant as that speech was, it is but one moment within the activist’s career that spanned nearly 15 years and took place before audiences in every region of the country.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar*

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 3 AM

Friday, Feb. 25, at 5 PM

In 1963 Michigan State University head football coach Duffy Daugherty gave 23 African American young men the opportunity of a lifetime. Maya Washington, daughter of Minnesota Vikings football legend Gene Washington, deepens her connection to her father as she uncovers how the first fully integrated college football team in America changed the game forever.

City of Ali*

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, Feb. 25, at 9:30 PM

On the day of Muhammad Ali's funeral procession, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of Louisville to celebrate his life, and an estimated 1 billion people worldwide tuned in to events including Ali's memorial.

Nova, Forgotten Genius

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 26, at 7 PM

Percy Julian was not only one of the great African American scientists of the 20th century but an industrialist, self-made millionaire, humanitarian and civil rights pioneer. The grandson of Alabama slaves, Julian won worldwide acclaim for his research in chemistry and broke the color barrier in American science more than a decade before Jackie Robinson did so in baseball. He discovered a way to turn soybeans into synthetic steroids on an industrial scale, enabling drugs such as cortisone to be widely available to millions.

Signing Black in America

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 PM

Black ASL is the unique dialect of American Sign Language (ASL) that developed within historically segregated African American deaf communities. Black ASL today conveys an identity and sense of belonging that mirrors spoken language varieties of the African American hearing community. Different uses of space, hand use, directional movement and facial expression are ways that Black ASL distinguishes itself as a vibrant dialect of American Sign Language. 

Muhammad Ali

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Fridays, Jan. 28–Feb. 18, at 9 PM

This four-part documentary is a portrait of one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century. Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.