PBS has curated a collection of films, series, and digital content to commemorate Black History Month and honor Black Americans.
This year, PBS offers diverse programming highlighting Black Americans’ achievements in various fields, including art, music, science, and activism. From documentaries to live performances, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
In addition to premiering new programs, PBS also streams beloved classics throughout February. Whether you’re interested in learning more about the Harlem Renaissance or the Civil Rights Movement, PBS has something to offer. Tune in to PBS during Black History Month to celebrate Black excellence and learn more about the rich history of Black Americans.
February 2024 Black History Month Programming on PBS
Where I Became
Sunday, February 4 at 1 p.m. on CET
Sunday, February 4 at 3 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Trace the story of 14 women who left apartheid in South Africa to attend Smith College
in the U.S. The film, narrated in their voices and filmed between South Africa and
the U.S., follows their stories from childhood to discovering themselves through the
power of higher education.
American Masters ‘How it Feels to Be Free’
Tuesday, February 6 at 9 p.m. on CET and ThinkTV16
Explore the lives and trailblazing careers of iconic African American entertainers Lena
Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier, who
changed American culture through their films, fashion, music, and politics.
Dream Whisperer
Friday, February 9 at 9 p.m. on CET
Sunday, February 11 at 4 p.m. ThinkTV16
Learn how NBA great Dick Barnet began his 9-year quest to get recognition for a special
team.
Gospel Live! Presented by Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Friday, February 9 at 9 p.m. (encore presentation at 10 p.m.) on CET Arts
Saturday, February 10 at 9 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Celebrate the legacy of Gospel music in America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Great Performances at the Met’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X’
Sunday, February 11 at noon on CET ARTS
Experience Anthony Davis’s groundbreaking opera directed by Tony nominee Robert
O’Hara. The new staging portrays Malcolm as an Everyman whose story transcends time
and space. Supported by a cast of young Met stars, Will Liverman sings Malcolm X.
Gospel
Monday, February 12 at 9 p.m. and Tuesday, February 13 at 9 p.m. on CET and ThinkTV16
From the blues to hip hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic
innovation for over a century. Musical styles come and go, but one sound
has been a constant source of strength, courage, and wisdom from the pulpit to the
choir lofts on any given Sunday. GOSPEL, the latest history series from Henry Louis
Gates, Jr. digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermons and songs.
Tuskegee Airmen: Return to Ramitelli
Sunday, February 4 at 4 p.m. on CET
The story of the Tuskegee Airmen, a group of Black military pilots who broke stereotypes
and helped win World War II with their daring fighter escorts of American bombers.
Narrated by country music star Darius Rucker, the film returns to Ramitelli Airfield in Italy
to share the history of the air squadron that helped shift the tides of the war.
Symphony Celebration: The Blind Boys of Alabama with Dr. Henry Panion, III
Friday, February 2 at 9 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Wednesday, February 7 at 8 p.m. on CET ARTS
Celebrate a message of peace and love with the five-time Grammy-winning Blind Boys of
Alabama.
Lincoln School Story
Friday, February 9 at 9 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Friday, February 16 at 11 p.m. on CET
When their school district refused to integrate after Brown v. Board of Education
was decided in 1954, a group of Black mothers in Southwest Ohio marched their children to
the white school, demanding admission, only to be turned away every day for two years.
Their activism resulted in one of the longest-sustained protests of the civil rights era.
Today, their children remain committed to telling the story of their mothers’ activism
and Ohio’s role in the movement.
Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders
Sunday, February 4 at 2:30 p.m. on CET
Thursday, February 8 at 11 p.m. on ThinkTV16
In 1967, inner-city Pittsburgh produced America’s first EMT service. Comprised solely of
Black men and women recruited from the city’s Hill District neighborhood, the
paramedics of Freedom House Ambulance became trailblazers in providing pre-hospital
and CPR care.
Just a Mortal Man – The Jerry Lawson Story
Saturday, February 10 at 10 p.m. on ThinkTV16
A documentary about the founder and original lead singer of the legendary a cappella
group The Persuasions.
Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen of New Orleans
Sunday, February 11 at 3 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Wednesday, February 28 at 6 p.m. on CET ARTS
Features a candid interview with one of New Orleans’ most celebrated musical icons as
well as never-before-seen footage of Irma in concert with songwriter, producer and
arranger Allen Toussaint.
Fannie Lou Hamer: Stand Up
Sunday, February 4 at 4:30 p.m. on ThinkTV16
The life of voting and women’s rights activist and civil rights legend Fannie Lou Hamer is
examined.
Ida B. Wells: American Stories
Sunday, February 4 at 11 p.m. on CET
There are few historical figures whose life and work speak to the current moment more
than Ida B. Wells, the 19th-century crusading investigative journalist, civil rights leader,
and passionate suffragist.
Shaw Rising
Sunday, February 11 at 11 p.m. on CET
Despite facing vicious prejudice in the aftermath of the Civil War, Shaw rose to
become a co-educational college, a medical school, a law school, and a divinity school.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Shaw University served as the birthplace of the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and continues to rise to the
challenges faced by its mission today.
Alabama Black Belt Blues
Wednesday, February 7 at 9 p.m. on CET Arts
Alabama Black Belt Blues uses slave narratives, archival blues recordings, and the
recorded music of contemporary African American blues musicians to explore the role
this music has played in the region from slavery onward. From cotton fields to the church
pews, to prison spaces, and to juke joints, the film follows the refrain of the region’s blues
through the cultural landscapes of Alabama then and now.
American Experience’ Zora Neale Hurston: Claim A Space’
Saturday, February 17 at 10 p.m. on ThinkTV14
Meet the influential author and key figure of the Harlem Renaissance. Also, an
anthropologist Hurston collected folklore throughout the South and Caribbean –
reclaiming, honoring, and celebrating Black life on its terms.
American Experience ‘The American Diplomat’
Sunday, February 4 at 9 p.m. on ThinkTV14
Monday, February 5 at 10 p.m. on ThinkTV16
Discover how three Black diplomats broke racial barriers at the US State Department
during the Cold War. Asked to represent the best of American ideals abroad while facing
discrimination at home, they left a lasting impact on the Foreign Service.
City of Ali
Saturday, February 10 at 10 p.m. on ThinkTV14
Sunday, February 11 at 2 p.m. on CET
On the day of Muhammad Ali’s funeral procession, more than 100,000 people lined the
streets of Louisville to celebrate his life, and an estimated one billion people worldwide
tuned in to events, including Ali’s memorial.
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All information and photos are from PBS.
Thank you for honoring those that came before us!