TV marks Black History Month with provocative, creative fare: Here’s what to watch
Associated Press
Marian Anderson performs on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in 1939, after she was refused permission to perform in Constitution Hall. "American Masters: Marian Anderson" on PBS is a study of the artist and civil rights advocate’s life, career and legacy.
How U.S. history is told and taught is being challenged and potentially constricted on several fronts, but television’s approach to Black History Month is firmly in overdrive. There’s a wealth of provocative and creative Black-focused programs in February, looking deep into the past to examine topics such as the roots of slavery and the achievements of towering figures including Frederick Douglass.
Freshly painful chapters including the 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida also get attention.
The post-George Floyd onset of racial reckoning and the subsequent backlash have coincided with the growth of streaming and its voracious need for content, a two-fold incentive for TV to pay heed to the sweep and nuance of Black experience.
With broadcast networks and cable channels trying to keep pace with flush streaming services, there’s an impressive field of documentaries, profiles and more ahead. Among the highlights:
