PBS Fort Wayne is proud to present a variety of programs celebrating the achievements and leadership of Black Americans. Especially this February, watch for these special programs and more that are being broadcast on PBS Fort Wayne; many will also be available to be streamed at pbs.org or by using the PBS Video App.

Muhammad Ali brings to life one of the best-known and most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans throughout the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it. Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.

This film tells the story of Josiah Henson, the real-life inspiration for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic 1852 novel, which has been recognized as one of the sparks that ignited the Civil War. With actor Danny Glover voicing Josiah Henson, this film not only illustrates what life was like for enslaved people in the 1800s, it also sheds light on a forgotten hero of the abolitionist movement.

Is the “American Dream” of home ownership a false promise? While the government’s postwar housing policy created the world’s largest middle class, it also set America on two divergent paths – one of perceived wealth and the other of systematically defunded, segregated communities.

Tuesdays, 8pm on PBS Fort Wayne

The acclaimed series returns with Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. exploring the mysteries, surprises and revelations hidden in the family trees of popular figures. Learn about the backstories of celebrities such as Terry Crews, Lena Waithe, Leslie Odom Jr,. and others.

Discover an international singer who captivated royalty in Europe and defied the conscience of 1939 America. Watch rare archival footage and hear audio recordings exploring her life and career from the Metropolitan Opera to the State Department.

How the Monuments Came Down is a timely and searing look at the history of white supremacy and Black resistance in Richmond, VA. The feature-length film—brought to life by history-makers, descendants, scholars, and activists—reveals how monuments to Confederate leaders stood for more than a century, and why they fell.

This film explores the lives and legacies of three African-American ambassadors — Edward R. Dudley, Terence Todman and Carl Rowan — who pushed past historical and institutional racial barriers to reach high-ranking appointments in the Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations. Through rare archival footage, in-depth oral histories, and interviews with family members, colleagues and diplomats, the film paints a portrait of three men who created a lasting impact on the content and character of the Foreign Service and changed American diplomacy forever.

Who killed Wharlest Jackson Sr.? In investigating the unsolved 1967 murder of a local NAACP leader, American Reckoning reveals an untold story of the civil rights movement and Black resistance.

The feature-length documentary from FRONTLINE and Retro Report, with support from Chasing the Dream, draws on rarely seen footage filmed by Ed Pincus and David Neuman more than 50 years ago in Natchez, Mississippi, and made available through the Amistad Research Center. In following the Jackson family’s search for answers, American Reckoning also taps into the groundbreaking reporting of journalist Stanley Nelson, who investigated allegations of the involvement of a Ku Klux Klan offshoot, known as the Silver Dollar Group.

Click on the image above to stream

Explore and celebrate the life of a fearless Mississippi sharecropper turned human rights activist and the injustices in America that made her work essential.

Want to learn more? Take part in an nationwide discussion — Finding Your Voice Through Fannie Lou Hamer on Tuesday, Feb. 15 • 3pm ET — by Clicking This Link.

Explore Black history through a new lens this month with documentary premieres that connect today’s issues with past events. Explore beyond the history and connect with culture though films, stories, and voices across public media in this curated resource site from PBS.

Black History Month Programming on PBS Fort Wayne is Sponsored Locally In Part By: