Black History Month Programming

February is Black History Month and we’re celebrating the many contributions and sacrifices of Black individuals here in America and around the world.

On Story
Television producer, actor, comic and writer Larry Wilmore discusses comedy in front of and behind the camera.
Saturday, February 1 at 7 p.m. on Q

On Story
Writer and producer Courtney Kemp Agboh.
Saturday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. on Q

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
When Joanna Drayton (Katharine Houghton), a free-thinking white woman, and black doctor John Prentice (Sidney Poitier) become engaged, they travel to San Francisco to meet her parents. Matt Drayton (Spencer Tracy) and his wife Christina (Katharine Hepburn) are wealthy liberals who must confront the latent racism the coming marriage arouses. Also attending the Draytons' dinner are Prentice's parents (Roy E. Glenn Sr., Beah Richards), who vehemently disapprove of the relationship.
Saturday, February 1 at 8 p.m. on Q

American Masters: Fats Domino
The New Orleans rhythm and blues of Fats Domino helped aid integration in the South. He was one of the most popular rockers in the 1950s and early 60s, rivaling Elvis Presley's record sales.
Saturday, February 1 at 10:50 p.m. on Q

Secrets of the Dead: The Woman in the Iron Coffin
Construction workers uncover the remains of a woman in an abandoned lot in Queens, N.Y., buried in an expensive iron coffin.
Saturday, February 2 at 6 p.m. on Q

Jazz: The True Welcome (1929 to 1934)
Harlem dancers reminisce; Louis Armstrong begins singing on stage; Duke Ellington appears in films; John Hammond; Benny Goodman; Art Tatum.
Saturday, February 2 at 7 p.m. on Q

Queen of Swing
Harlem-born actress, dancer and choreographer Norma Miller makes an impact on America's jazz culture.
Saturday, February 2 and Sunday, February 16 at 9 p.m. on Q

Independent Lens Cooked: Survival By Zip Code
In July 1995, a heat wave overtook Chicago: high humidity and a layer of heat-retaining pollution drove the heat index up to more than 126 degrees. City roads buckled, rails warped, electric grids failed, thousands became ill and people began to die — by the hundreds. Cooked tells the story of this heat wave, the most traumatic in U.S. history, in which 739 Chicago citizens died in a single week, most of them poor, elderly and African American. Balancing serious and somber with her respectful, albeit ironic and signature quirky style, Peabody award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand explores this drama that, when peeled away, reveals the less newsworthy but long-term crisis of pernicious poverty, economic and social isolation and racism. This is a story about life, death and the politics of crisis in an American city.
Monday, February 3 at 9 p.m. on Austin PBS

Blackademics Television: Ambikaipaker/Givens/Foster
Political blackness in multiracial Britain, nationalism in Europe and literacy in an age of lies with talks by Mohan Ambikaipaker, Terri E. Givens and Kevin Michael Foster.
Friday, February 7 at 7:30 p.m. on Austin PBS

Independent Lens: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities
Historically black colleges and universities play a pivotal role in shaping American history, culture and national identity.
Saturday, February 9 at 4:45 p.m. on Q

Rising from the Rails: The Story of the Pullman Porter
The history of the black men who worked on railroad sleeping cars -- luxury trains that began traveling across the U.S. following the Civil War.
Saturday, February 9 at 6:10 p.m. on Q

Jazz: Swing: Pure Pleasure (1935 to 1937)
Big-band swing dominates; Benny Goodman integrates his bands; the Savoy Ballroom attracts dancers, both black and white; Billie Holiday.
Saturday, February 9 at 7 p.m. on Q

George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life
Born a slave, George Washington Carver defies the odds to become a scientist, teacher, humanitarian, environmentalist and artist.
Saturday, February 10 at 5 p.m. on Q

An Evening with Ken Chenault
Take a look at the life and career of one of America's most celebrated CEOs. Ken Chenault became CEO of American Express in 2001. Over 17 years, he shepherded the company through September 11, the 2008 economic downturn and a volatile market.
Monday, February 10 at 10:30 p.m. on Austin PBS and Monday, February 17 at 5 p.m. on Q

Finding Your Roots: Slave Trade
This reversioned episode features Questlove, S. Epatha Merkerson and Ava DuVernay.
Tuesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. on Austin PBS

Karamu: 100 Years in the House
Sunday, February 16 at 6 p.m. on Q

Historic Attucks Theatre: Apollo of The South
Sunday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m. on Q

Jazz: Swing: The Velocity of Celebration (1937-1939)
Sunday, February 16 at 7 p.m. on Q

Marian Anderson: Once in a Hundred Years
Marian Anderson (1897-1993) is considered one of the most important opera performers of the 20th century. The celebrated contralto was born in South Philadelphia on February 27, 1897 and played a vital role in the acceptance of African Americans in classical music and other segregated performing arts genres. This documentary traces the arc of Anderson's life and her struggles against racism and poverty. The program culminates with her battle against the Daughters of the American Revolution, which led to her historic concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
Monday, February 17 at 9 p.m. on Austin PBS

Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne
This is the little-known tale of Augusta Chiwy, a black nurse, and her heroic service at a U.S. military aid station during the opening days of the Battle of The Bulge. Her remarkable story of bravery went untold for over 60 years, until historian and author Martin King tracked her down and wrote a book celebrating her heroism. Augusta Chiwy passed away on August 23, 2015 in Belgium at the age of 94. Her life story was celebrated in The New York Times feature series "The Lives They Lived." Using archival footage and photos, black and white sketches and interviews with author Martin King, historian Michael Collins and others, the documentary pieces together the remarkable truth of this previously unsung hero, whose compassion and unwavering courage helped save countless American soldiers.
Sunday, February 23 at 6 p.m. on Q and Monday, February 24 at 10:30 p.m. on Austin PBS

Jazz: Swing: Dedicated to Chaos (1940-1945)
Sunday, February 23 at 7 p.m. on Q

Leah Chase — The Queen of Creole Cuisine
Sunday, February 23 at 9 p.m. on Q

We Knew What We Had: The Greatest Jazz Story Never Told
Sunday, February 23 at 10 p.m. on Q

Evening with Debra Lee
Monday, February 24 at 5 p.m. on Q

American Masters: Miles Davis
Directed by Stanley Nelson, this film includes never-seen-before footage and photos, as well as numerous interviews with musicians, scholars, family and friends. The film is narrated by actor Carl Lumbly using the words of Davis, spoken in his trademark sandpaper whisper. The result is a masterful and compelling work that tells the whole unvarnished story of the mercurial Miles Davis as a musician and a man.
Tuesday, February 25 at 8 p.m. on Austin PBS

Evening with Franklin Thomas
Monday, March 5 at 5 p.m. on Q