Celebrate Extraordinary Black Americans on WHYY-TV 12

Learn about extraordinary Black Americans on WHYY-TV 12 in January, February and all year long! From soul to photography, Black medical care, ancestry and biographies to Hip Hop, it’s all here.

Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World

Tuesdays, January 31 and February 14 and 21, 9 p.m.

Chuck D of Public Enemy explores Hip Hop’s political awakening over the last 50 years. Alongside a host of rap stars and cultural commentators, he tracks Hip Hop’s socially conscious roots. From “The Message” to “Fight The Power 2020,” the music has been a powerful medium to report on the struggles, triumphs, emotions and experiences of Black and Brown communities.


Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Tuesday, February 21: And Still I Rise

In this special episode, Henry Louis Gates Jr. reveals the unexpected family trees of activist Angela Y. Davis and statesman Jeh Johnson, using DNA and long-lost records to redefine notions of the black experience and challenge preconceptions of America’s past.

Enjoy other episodes Tuesdays in January and February at 8 p.m.


Movers & Makers Special: The Story of Mercy-Douglass Hospital

Thursday, February 16 at 7:30 and 11 p.m.

A black and white archival photograph of a group of nurses from the class of 1992 of Mercy Hospital
Courtesy of Barbara Bates Center for The Study of The History of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania.

Discover the amazing story of Mercy-Douglass Hospital, founded by and for the Black community here in Philadelphia in 1895. This Movers & Makers documentary was produced in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, The College of Physicians/Mutter Museum and The Medical Society of Eastern PA.


Great Performances: Magic of Spirituals

Friday, February 24 at 9 p.m.

Take a glimpse behind the curtain of a famed Carnegie Hall concert in 1990 featuring opera legends Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman. Enjoy performance clips and new interviews with opera star Angel Blue, Met Opera General Manager Peter Gelb and more.

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