PBS and SDPB Address Race and Racism in America
through Broadcast and Streaming Content
Race Matters: America in Crisis—A PBS NewsHour Special premieres Friday, June 5, 9pm CT on SDPB
America in Black & Blue 2020 premieres Monday, June 15, 8pm CT on SDPB
VERMILLION, SD (June 3, 2020) – PBS announced today that it will broadcast a series of films and new specials focused on race in America following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and the ensuing protests that erupted across the country. In addition to re-broadcasting films focused on African American history by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Finding Your Roots) and filmmaker Stanley Nelson (The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, The Murder of Emmett Till, Miles Davis: The Birth of Cool), PBS will also curate a playlist of programs that explore the impact of racism on Black Americans and the larger country.
“As a media system that serves every person in America, we stand with the Black community, and we stand against racism and hate," said Paula Kerger, President & CEO of PBS. "In the coming days and weeks, we will use our national reach and community presence to deepen understanding, foster conversation and enable meaningful change. And we will continue to stand behind our courageous journalists, whose unwavering commitment to speak truth to power is essential to the strength of our democracy.”
ON SDPB-TV and PBS.org
On Friday, June 5, at 9:00 p.m. CT (8:00 MT), PBS and SDPB will air a new special, RACE MATTERS: AMERICA IN CRISIS: A PBS NEWSHOUR SPECIAL. The one-hour program will be anchored by managing editor Judy Woodruff with contributions from senior national correspondent Amna Nawaz, correspondent Yamiche Alcindor and special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault. RACE MATTERS: AMERICA IN CRISIS will focus on the frustration pouring out onto American streets, outrage about police brutality, and America’s deep systemic racial disparities in the economy, education, criminal justice system and health care, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will also include grassroots voices from around the country and roundtable conversations with thought leaders and other newsmakers.
GREAT PERFORMANCES “Twilight: Los Angeles” encores Monday, June 8 at 9:00 p.m. CT (8:00 p.m. MT) on SDPB. Anna Deavere Smith’s powerful one-woman theater piece gives a riveting account of the violent aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King verdict and the lasting impact of the Los Angeles riots on America’s conscience. Award-winning director Marc Levin weaves Smith’s stage performance with news footage and interviews to create a portrait of rage, sorrow, loss and battered hope.
AMERICA IN BLACK AND BLUE 2020, which broadcasts on SDPB Monday, June 15 at 8:00 p.m. CT (7:00 MT), will report from across the country, and include interviews with key leaders and participants in the struggle for racial justice, accountability and equity, as well as voices from law enforcement. As the latest crisis of police violence on black citizens — and outraged protests and ensuing violence — engulf the nation, this PBS special will bring context and insight. It will update reporting from the original AMERICA IN BLACK AND BLUE, which first aired in 2016. Correspondents will report from Minneapolis, Georgia, New York and elsewhere, and interviews from PBS NEWSHOUR WEEKEND, AMANPOUR AND COMPANY, and other PBS national and local programming will be included. More details are forthcoming.
In addition to the broadcasts, films from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Stanley Nelson will be included as part of a special curated collection streaming free on PBS.org. The filmmakers will offer their insights into the events currently gripping the country and historical origins for greater context. The programs below will also be included as part of the curated collection, with titles provided in association with Black Public Media.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Always in Season”
A grieving mother embarks on a quest for racial justice after her teenage son’s suspicious death.
A suspicious death and a mother's quest show us the history of lynching in America isn't history at all.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Charm City”
Get to know the people on the front lines of three years of unparalleled violence in Baltimore.
INDEPENDENT LENS “The First Rainbow Coalition”
Notable community groups in 1960s Chicago bridge race and ethnicity to form a surprising alliance.
INDEPENDENT LENS “I Am Not Your Negro”
Explore James Baldwin’s unfinished book about race in America in this Oscar-nominated documentary.
JOHN LEWIS – GET IN THE WAY
Follow the courageous journey of John Lewis, from his youth in the segregated South, through his leadership within the Civil Rights movement, to his current role as a powerful voice in Congress.
POV “Whose Streets?”
Take an unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising, told by the activists leading the movement.
An unflinching look at the Ferguson uprising.
On SDPB Radio and SDPB.org
As part of the continuing conversation on race, rights and contemporary policing on SDPB’s In the Moment, on Wednesday, June 10, at 11am CT (10am MT), SDPB will air SPOTLIGHT ON BLACK TRAUMA AND POLICING from American Public Media. The death of George Floyd, a black man killed while being forcefully detained by a Minneapolis Police officer, has sparked peaceful demonstrations and destructive riots between protesters and police in the Twin Cities and across the country. How does racial and cultural trauma affect black Americans and others? What are the needed supports and treatments to promote healing? How can a trauma-informed approach de-escalate interactions and help prevent future deadly incidents?
Join Minnesota Public Radio News host Angela Davis for a recorded discussion with cultural trauma experts about the most recent high-profile incident to become an example of historic racial injustice. Davis will be joined by community leaders and cultural trauma experts including Resmaa Menakem, LICSW, cultural trauma expert and founder of Justice Leadership Solutions in Minneapolis and Justin Terrell, Executive Director of Minnesota Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage.
More Online Content from PBS on Race and Current Events
PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT, the signature programming and engagement initiative of the network’s 50th anniversary, invites people across the country to share their stories about race and current events with a new prompt, “Now is the time...” Stories can be uploaded to AMERICAN PORTRAIT at pbs.org/americanportrait and may be included in a featured collection of personal stories from Americans grappling with racism and its impact, past and present. PBS AMERICAN PORTRAIT will air two new specials this fall and a four-part docuseries in January 2021 that spotlight American stories, including how the far-reaching impact of the events of 2020 have affected our everyday lives.
PBS KIDS will offer families resources to discuss race, racism, civil rights, current events and more with young children, including a virtual event on YouTube on Tuesday, June 9 at 2:30 p.m. CT with parents, teachers and child development experts.
PBS LEARNINGMEDIA will offer materials to help educators talk with students about race in America and current events, including classroom-ready resources for a variety of grade levels aligned to state and national standards. Professional learning materials for educators will also be available later this month.
In the spirit of providing resources and information on topics exploring race in America, PBS DIGITAL STUDIOS will curate a themed playlist featuring wide-ranging content from some of its most popular series, including SAY IT LOUD, ABOVE THE NOISE, ORIGIN OF EVERYTHING and CRASH COURSE. Programs explore “The Origin of Race in the USA,” “Should We Police Our Police,” “The Reason #BlackTwitter Exists (And Is Totally Awesome),” “What Does Resistance Look Like” and many more.