Black History Month Programming on PBS SoCal Looks at Origins of 'Gospel' Along with Robust Lineup Featuring Programs From Independent Lens, American Masters and More!
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Allison Gray
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Select programming will also be available to stream on PBS.org and the free PBS App. Members of PBS SoCal get extended access through PBS Passport.
Los Angeles, Calif. – Jan. 18, 2024 – PBS SoCal, Southern California’s flagship PBS station, announced today a robust programming slate in February highlighting Black History Month content headlined by GOSPEL, a new four-hour docuseries that explores the rich history of Black spirituality through sermon and song from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Musical styles come and go, but gospel music has been a constant source of strength, courage and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday. GOSPEL digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song as the four episode series highlights how, from the blues to hip hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century. All four episodes will debut back-to-back over the course of two nights airing Mon., Feb. 12 and Tues., Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Kicking off the celebration earlier in the month, and as a companion presentation to GOSPEL, PBS taped the one-of-a-kind television special GOSPEL LIVE! at Oasis Church in Los Angeles in October. The special features performances by contemporary secular and gospel stars, including John Legend, Erica Campbell, Anthony Hamilton, Lena Byrd Miles, Mali Music and more. Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., this extraordinary musical celebration honoring the legacy and influence of gospel music in America and premieres Fri., Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal.
Reinforcing PBS SoCal’s commitment to telling diverse stories, the station kicks off Black History Month even prior to February, with the Jan. 22 premiere of “Racist Trees” from INDEPENDENT LENS which asks the question of whether trees were intentionally planted to exclude and segregate a Black neighborhood in Palm Springs, California.
In February, viewers can find relevant programming options that range from popular PBS series like FINDING YOUR ROOTS and Southern California’s locally produced arts & culture series ARTBOUND to groundbreaking limited series such as FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD and MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE. While trailblazing individuals including guitarist Wes Bound, architect Paul R. Williams and fearless civil rights leader Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth are among the many individuals celebrated in other documentaries airing throughout the month on PBS SoCal.
Acclaimed PBS documentary series AMERICAN MASTERS treats viewers to two important stories for Black History Month including the Feb. 2 broadcast of “Little Richard: King and Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” charting the meteoric rise of the artist who counted both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as his opening acts. The film provides an intimate exploration of the electrifying artist and his far-reaching influence as well as his advocacy for the rights of Black artists in the music industry. The film debuted in PBS’s 2023 Pride Month lineup providing an intimate exploration of the renowned and multifaceted individual.
Then, on Feb. 6, AMERICAN MASTERS “How It Feels to Be Free” is the inspiring story of how six iconic African American female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process. The documentary interviews and features archival performances with all six women, as well as offers up original conversations with contemporary artists influenced by them, including the film’s executive producer Alicia Keys, as well as Halle Berry, Lena Waithe, Meagan Good, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson and other luminaries.
Additional offerings for local audiences include specially curated episodes of BARE FEET, where host and dancer Mickela Mallozzi experiences the world one dance at a time, exploring the traditional dances of every culture while connecting with the local community.
Reinforcing PBS SoCal’s commitment to sharing diverse and inclusive stories, additional digital content will roll out at pbssocal.org/BlackHistoryMonth exploring the impact of Black History Month and the Black experience in America.
Select relevant content slated to air is listed as follows (*schedule subject to change):
INDEPENDENT LENS: “RACIST TREES” – Mon., Jan. 22 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Racial tensions ignite in this documentary, when a historically Black neighborhood in Palm Springs fights to remove a towering wall of tamarisk trees. The trees form a barrier, believed by some to segregate the community, frustrating residents who regard them as an enduring symbol of racism.
FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD: “The Foundation” – Thurs., Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover the factors that led to the birth of Hip Hop and its first socially conscious hit “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1982.
FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD: “Under Siege– Thurs., Feb. 1 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore the 1980s and the birth of Hip Hop as social commentary in the Reagan Era with the emergence of artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Ice-T and NWA.
FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD: “Culture Wars” – Thurs., Feb. 1 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Experience the 1990s during the Clinton years and the unstoppable rise in popularity of Hip Hop, which becomes a force that is attacked by all sides of the political establishment.
FIGHT THE POWER: HOW HIP HOP CHANGED THE WORLD: “Still Fighting” – Thurs., Feb. 1 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Follow the evolution of Hip Hop as its artists turn into multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs. As a cultural phenomenon, Hip Hop continues to change history and is adopted as the voice of protest around the world.
AMERICAN MASTERS “LITTLE RICHARD: THE KING AND QUEEN OF ROCK AND ROLL” – Fri., Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Experience the meteoric rise and enduring legacy of Little Richard. A fearless pioneer of rock ‘n’ roll who broke the color barrier in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally,” Little Richard defined a genre and inspired generations by defying societal expectations.
“WES BOUND: THE GENIUS OF WES MONTGOMERY” – Fri., Feb. 2 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Discover the story of this legendary jazz guitarist and composer from Indiana.
AMERICAN MASTERS “HOW IT FEELS TO BE FREE” – Tues., Feb. 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The inspiring story of how six iconic African American female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
HOLLYWOOD’S ARCHITECT: THE PAUL R. WILLIAMS STORY – Tues., Feb. 6 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Nicknamed “Architect to the Stars,” African American architect Paul R. Williams was one of the most successful architects of his time. But at the height of his career, he wasn’t always welcome in the buildings he designed, because of his race.
MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE– Thurs., Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore how free Black people in the North and South built towns, established schools and held conventions, creating networks to address political, economic and social needs.
MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE– Thurs., Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Blacks created communities that sustained and empowered, from HBCUs to Black businesses and from Harlem Renaissance to political organizations.
MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE– Thurs., Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
To survive economic disaster, Blacks rely on informal economies, grassroots organizations and cultural innovations to dismantle the realities of Jim Crow.
MAKING BLACK AMERICA: THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE– Thurs., Feb. 8 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Explore how Black political and cultural movements, including Black Power and Black Twitter, provided a safe space to debate, organize and celebrate.
GOSPEL LIVE! PRESENTED BY HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. – Fri., Feb. 9 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
A concert celebration honoring the legacy of gospel music in America. As a companion to GOSPEL, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., secular and gospel artists including John Legend sing their favorite gospel classics.
A SYMPHONY CELEBRATION: THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA WITH DR. HENRY PANION III – Fri., Feb. 9 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
The concert features a combined choir from Alabama’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Miles College, Tuskegee University and Talladega College. Choirs from Birmingham Southern College and the University of Alabama at Birmingham also join the show.
SHUTTLESWORTH – Fri., Feb. 9 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
This feature-length documentary explores the life and legacy of perhaps the most fearless leader of the Civil Rights Movement—Birmingham’s Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth. When the KKK planted a bomb underneath his bed and he emerged unharmed, he was sure he was saved by God to lead a Movement. His work led directly to the Civil and Voting Rights Acts—and inspired freedom movements around the world.
BARE FEET “Garifuna” – Sun., Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Mickela heads to The Bronx to meet with the largest Garifuna community in the US.
BARE FEET “Little Caribbean” – Sun., Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Mickela heads to the Little Caribbean neighborhood in Crown Heights, Brooklyn to take outdoor soca dance classes, learn the steel pan with Tropical Fete, dance on stilts with the Kaisokah USA Moko Jumbies and eat the local dishes in the West Indian Market.
BARE FEET “Black Voices” – Sun., Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Mickela celebrates black voices in the arts by dancing with Virginia Johnson and the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, along with Misty Copeland and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
BARE FEET “Hip Hop (The Boogie Down Bronx)” – Sun., Feb. 11 at 5:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Mickela heads to the new Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx to learn about its history and its legends, and meets up with the next generation of dancers, DJs, and artists.
GOSPEL “The Gospel Train” – Mon., Feb. 12 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
GOSPEL’s hour 1 follows the sonic influences of blues and jazz music.
GOSPEL “The Golden Age of Gospel” – Mon., Feb. 12 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
GOSPEL’s hour 2 traces the Golden Age of gospel from the Lord’s music to the mainstream.
GOSPEL “Take the Message Everywhere” – Tues., Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal
In GOSPEL’s hour 3, gospel goes mainstream, taking the good news everywhere.
GOSPEL “Gospel’s Second Century” – Tues., Feb. 13 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
GOSPEL’s hour 4 explores how gospel and preaching achieved platinum-selling success.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS “The Brick Wall Falls” – Tues., Feb. 13 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. helps musician Dionne Warwick and actor Danielle Brooks break down barriers imposed by the slave system to learn the names of their ancestors who endured unimaginable ordeals—but emerged to forge families that thrived.
SECRETS OF THE DEAD “The Woman in the Iron Coffin” – Wed., Feb. 14 at 10 p.m. on PBS SoCal
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.
ARTBOUND “The New West Coast Sound: An L.A. Jazz Legacy” – Wed., Feb. 14 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Growing up amongst jazz legends within the deep musical traditions of Leimert Park, drummer Mekala Session and his peers grapple with how to preserve this rich legacy—striving to carry forward the tenets that took root in the work of Horace Tapscott and his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra. This is the story of Los Angeles’ emerging generation of community-focused Black musicians.
ARTBOUND “L.A. Rebellion: A Cinematic Movement” – Wed., Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
Following the Watts Uprising, UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television enacted affirmative action policies to increase the enrollment of students of color in the film program—a group that had historically been underrepresented in the student population. The “ethno-communications” initiative to recruit students from Black, Asian, Chicano and Native American communities took on a movement of its own, when a critical mass of Black student filmmakers emerged known as the “L.A. Rebellion.”
THE 100 DAYS “The Assassination of Martin Luther King” – Wed., Feb. 21 at 11 p.m. on PBS SoCal
In 1968, 100 days began and ended with tragedy. On March 3rd, civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. As MLK’s assassin seeks to change his identity and his appearance, political activity takes a new turn as presidential primary campaigning crisscrosses the country. Within weeks, Robert Kennedy is assassinated in California.
ARTBOUND “The Watts Towers Arts Center” – Wed., Feb. 28 at 9 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
The Watts Towers Arts Center was founded by artists and educators in the 1960s and has been a beacon of art and culture in the community for decades. This episode features the work of artists including Noah Purifoy, John Outterbridge, Betye Saar, Charles White and Mark Steven Greenfield.
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