Great Migrations: A People on the Move

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesdays at 9 PM 
Wednesdays at 2 AM 

Fusion (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturdays at 7 PM beginning Feb. 8

Examine the powerful influence of Black migration on American culture and society with this new four-part documentary. While the first large migration was a forced journey from Africa in bondage, voluntary migrations in the 20th and 21st centuries have significantly reshaped the nation. 

This series explores the first and second waves of the Great Migration from the South to the North during the two World Wars, the “New Great Migration” of African Americans returning home to the South of their ancestors since the 1970s, and the “Next Great Migration” marked by the historic and growing influx of African and Caribbean immigration in the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Major Taylor: Champion of The Race

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 1, at 7 PM

MAJOR TAYLOR: CHAMPION OF THE RACE retraces the life and legacy of an American civil rights pioneer who set more than 20 world records in speed cycling during the heart of Jim Crow America. By the time he was in his early 20s, Major Taylor had claimed victory in the world cycling championship, the American cycling crown, and had set dozens of world speed cycling records all while having to endure withering racial pressures.

A PBS Western Reserve Production

Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, Feb. 2, at 5:30 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 3:30 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 10, at 9:30 PM

Learn 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.

Black Fiddlers

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, Feb. 2, at 11 PM
Monday, Feb. 3, at 4 AM
Sunday, Feb. 9, at 4 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7 PM

BLACK FIDDLERS traces the history of African-American violinists in the U.S. Featuring performances by descendants like Joe and Odell Thomson, and artists Rhiannon Giddens, it revives 300 years of Black music, with insights from historians and authors like Kip Lornell.

Presented by PBS Western Reserve

Training for Freedom

PBS Western Reserve (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Friday, Feb. 7, at 10:30 PM
Sunday, Feb. 23, at 5 PM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 3, at 9:30 PM
Saturday, Feb. 8, at 4:30 PM

In 1890 Mississippi had 190,000 registered Black voters. By 1966, that number was reduced to 2,000 due to a complicated voter registration process. This documentary is the transformational story of how idealistic college students and Black activist teachers came together in Oxford, Ohio, to fight as one in the freedom struggle that would define a nation and alter the course of history.

Hope in the Struggle: The Josie Johnson Story

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Wednesday, Feb. 5, at 3 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, Feb. 8, at 8 PM

This documentary reflects on the life of freedom fighter and civic leader Dr. Josie Johnson, who fought for fair housing, education, and civil rights. Hear in her own words how her lived experiences turned her to activism, what meaningful action looks like, and how the next generation is taking up the mantle. The battle for justice and equality continues, but this film reminds viewers that there is hope in the struggle.

American Masters, Roberta Flack

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7 PM

Discover music icon Roberta Flack’s rise to stardom and triumphs over racism and sexism. Detailing her story in her own words, the film features exclusive access to Flack’s archives and interviews with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Peabo Bryson and more.

American Masters, Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 6, at 8:30 PM

Explore the extraordinary life and musical career of the legendary drummer, composer and social activist. The film follows Roach’s career and personal struggles and triumphs, across a series of masterful musical innovations and artistic reinventions. His creativity and unshakable sense of mission kept him at the forefront of music and activism across seven decades — from the era of the Jim Crow south, to the Civil Rights years ... from the heady days of post-war modern jazz, to the hip hop-era and beyond.

The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Fridays, Feb. 7 & 14, at 9 PM

Historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr., retraces the 400-year-old story of the Black church in America. The moving four-hour, two-part series explores the church’s role as the site of African American organizing, resilience, autonomy, freedom and solidarity.

Great Performances at the Met, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 9, at 5 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 8 PM

Experience Anthony Davis’s groundbreaking opera directed by Tony nominee Robert O’Hara. The new staging portrays Malcolm as an Everyman whose story transcends time and space. Supported by a cast of young Met stars, Will Liverman sings Malcolm X.

A PBS Western Reserve Production

Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 3:30 AM
Saturday, Feb. 15, at 10 PM
Sunday, Feb. 16, at 2 AM
Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 3:30 AM
Monday, Feb. 24, at 5:30 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 24, at 9:30 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.

Fight The Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursdays, Feb. 13 & 20, at 8 PM & 9 PM

Featuring firsthand accounts from some of rap’s most integral players, this four-part series recounts the origins of this bold and revolutionary art form through the voices of those who were there at the beginning, creating an anthology of how hip-hop became a cultural phenomenon against the backdrop of American history.

Great Performances at the Met, Fire Shut Up in My Bones

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Sunday, Feb. 16, at 5 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 8 PM

Experience Grammy-winning composer Terence Blanchard and librettist Kasi Lemmon’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s memoir. The opera tells the story of a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown co-direct with Brown also choreographing. Baritone Will Liverman stars with soprano Angel Blue.

Buffalo Soldiers: Fighting on Two Fronts

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Monday, Feb. 17, at 9 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 18, at 2 AM

Established by Congress, the 14th Amendment promised citizenship in exchange for enlistment, prompting many African American men. They were denied due to Jim Crow laws but still served. The film examines the profound and often-contradictory roles played by Buffalo Soldiers in U.S. history, and how they fought on two sets of front lines: military conflicts abroad and civil rights struggles at home.

Gospel

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursdays, Feb. 20-March 9, at 8 PM

This four-hour docuseries explores the rich history of Black spirituality through sermon and song. It reunites acclaimed Harvard scholar and documentarian Henry Louis Gates Jr. with directors Stacey L. Holman and Shayla Harris. From the blues to hip-hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century. Musical styles come and go, but gospel is one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday. 

Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility In America

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, Feb. 21, at 9 PM

Discover how the advent of the automobile brought new freedoms and new perils for African Americans on the road in this deep look into the dynamics of race, space and mobility in America over time.

Awadagin Pratt: Black in America

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Sunday, Feb. 23, at 5:30 PM

You are never too famous to escape racism and racial profiling. Awadagin Pratt is a renowned concert pianist, composer and violinist. This documentary confronts issues of privilege and racism in America and tells a personal account of an all-too-common experience for many people of color in America and worldwide.

American Masters, The Disappearance of Miss Scott

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 24, at 8 PM

Hazel Scott was one of the most revered stars of the early 20th century. Not only was Scott a beloved musical sensation, but she also channeled her talents into Hollywood stardom, becoming the first Black American to host their own television show. Discover her storied life, from her childhood as a musical prodigy in Trinidad to her prolific career on stage and the silver screen.

Independent Lens, Bike Vessel

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Monday, Feb. 24, at 10 PM

After multiple heart surgeries, a 70-year-old man transforms his life to become an avid cyclist. When he and his son embark on a long-distance ride from St. Louis to Chicago, they push each other in their quests to reimagine Black health.

American Experience, Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP 

PBS WESTERN RESERVE (WNEO 45.1 / WEAO 49.1):

Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 9 PM
Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 2 AM

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Saturday, March 1, at 2 PM

Meet Walter White, the NAACP’s longtime leader and one of the most influential but least known figures in civil rights history. Under his leadership, the NAACP paved the way for Black power at the ballot box and scored important legal victories.

Denzel Washington: American Paradox

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 10 PM

Throughout a 30-year-career spanning more than 50 film roles, two-time Oscar winner Denzel Washington placed the figure of the Black man in all its complexity at the heart of American paradoxes in drama: from a Black activist and rebel soldier to a gangster torn between violence and charity. DENZEL WASHINGTON: AMERICAN PARADOX is a comprehensive review of Washington's remarkable career and indelible impact on the film industry.

Hearts in Harmony

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Thursday, Feb. 27, at 9 PM

Musicians perform original songs that express the importance of curiosity, compassion, and cooperation to invite viewers to use their gifts to foster individual and community well-being.

Prince Among Slaves

FUSION (WNEO 45.2 / WEAO 49.2):

Friday, Feb. 28, at 9 PM

This special tells the forgotten true story of an African prince who was enslaved in Mississippi for 40 years before finally achieving freedom and becoming one of the most famous men in America.