February 2002
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February 2002 |
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Departments Past Issues |
Celebrating Black HistoryThe story of the Underground Railroad in the Delaware Valley is one of the month's highlights
Rev. Leon Sullivan: A Principled Man journeys from the mountains of West Virginia to America's corporate boardrooms and across the fields of Africa to profile the late human rights champion and pastor of Philadelphia's Zion Baptist Church. Sunday, February 3 at 9 p.m. American Experience "Scottsboro: An American Tragedy" recounts the 1931 trial of nine teenage boys falsely accused of rape by two white women. The trial drew North and South into the sharpest conflict since the Civil War, yielded two momentous Supreme Court decisions and gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement. Sunday, February 3 at 10 p.m. A Century of Black Cinema is an illuminating journey tracing African Americans in film from the earliest days up through the late 1990s, from those who broke new ground in the entertainment industry to those whose on-screen work took a less fortunate turn. Film footage presented ranges from turn-of-the-century independent director Oscar Micheaux's God's Step Children to Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. Saturday, February 9 at 9 p.m. American Experience "Jubilee Singers: Sacrifice and Glory" In the chaotic decade following the Civil War, a group of young ex-slaves in Nashville sets out on a mission to save their bankrupt school by giving concerts. The Jubilee Singers introduced audiences to the power of spirituals, the religious anthems of slavery. Sunday, February 10 at 5:30 p.m. Black Philadelphia Memories The original WHYY production combines headlines with the uncelebrated movements and moments of the rich history of African Americans in Philadelphia. Weaving together historical narration, personal anecdotes, documentary footage and family photographs, the result is a warm and honest collection of nostalgia. Sunday, February 10 at 6:25 p.m. Cecil B. Moore is a biography of the lawyer and city councilman who fought racial injustice in North Philadelphia and in cities around the country. Sunday, February 10 at 10 p.m.
Shot on location in historical settings throughout the Delaware Valley, the film focuses on the collaboration between white Quaker abolitionist Thomas Garrett, portrayed by Emmy-winning actor Ed Asner, and William Still (Blair Underwood), a free, black anti-slavery activist. Their efforts to help conduct thousands of fugitives to freedom is at the center of the this story about the "corridor of courage." Tuesday, February 12 at 10 p.m. A Huey P. Newton Story In this adaptation of Roger Guenveur Smith's off-Broadway solo performance, director Spike Lee brings to life the thoughts, philosophies, history and flavor of the co-founder of the Black Panthers. Wednesday, February 13 at 10 p.m. Ralph Ellison: An American Journey The American Masters program explores the life and work of the influential author, featuring a tribute from Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison, interviews with critic Stanley Crouch, author and political activist Amiri Baraka and Harvard University professor Cornel West and never-before-seen photos from Ellison's family albums. Tuesday, February 19 at 10 p.m. |
©2002
WHYY, Inc
In observance of Black History Month, WHYY TV12 is broadcasting programs that celebrate, educate and inspire:
Whispers of Angels: A Story of the Underground Railroad tells the story of the Eastern Line of the Underground Railroad that stretched from Maryland's eastern shore through Delaware and into Philadelphia in the first half of the 19th century.