Skip to main content
Back to Show
Amanpour & Co.

Finding Joy in Early Black Writing

February is Black History Month in the U.S., and a new book offers stories of joy that arose amid the horrors of slavery. Author Tara Bynum, a professor of English and African American studies at the University of Iowa, explores the work of four Black writers who found moments of happiness while enslaved. Bynum joins Michel Martin to discuss the humanity in their stories.

Support Provided By
Season
September 16, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:32
Michael Carpenter; Dexter Filkins; Jason Koebler
September 15, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:26
Toluse Olorunnipa; Michael Waldman; Naomi Klein; Astra Taylor; Rana Foroohar
September 14, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:45
Helen Toner; Hisham Al-Omeisy; Theodore Johnson
September 11, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:19
Steve Coll; Vali Nasr; Paul Greengrass; Janet Reitman
September 10, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:34
Ehud Olmert; Frank Kendall; Noubar Afeyan
September 9, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:35
Nicholas Burns; Peter Ricketts; David Cohen
September 8, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:55
Marta Kos; Julian Borger; Spencer Cox
September 7, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:48
Rahm Emanuel; Bill McKibben; Emily Wilson
September 4, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:43
Kai Bird; Tanaz Eshaghian; Wilbert Cooper
September 3, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:36
Jeremy Diamond; John Manley; Heidy Khlaaf
September 2, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:55
Petr Pavel; Justin J. Pearson; Derek Muller
September 1, 2026
Unlock with PBS Passport
55:47
Alayna Treene; Dr. Debra Houry; Annie Lowrey; Kurt Andersen
Active loading indicator