KCET Commemorates Black History Month with Seven Intriguing Documentaries Throughout February
BURBANK, CA - Jan. 22, 2014 - In honor of Black History Month, KCET, the nation's
largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central
California, will broadcast seven fascinating documentaries
throughout February which showcase the many achievements
of African Americans and their contributions throughout U.S. history.
The Education of Harvey Gantt - Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 10 p.m.
Even after the Supreme Court decided
the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, South Carolina's General
Assembly passed numerous acts designed to maintain segregation in the state's
schools, parks and other public facilities. On Jan. 28, 1963, a young black man named Harvey Gantt
enrolled at Clemson College, becoming the first African American accepted to a
white school in South Carolina.The
Education of Harvey Gantt
tellsthis pivotal, yet largely forgotten, story of desegregation. Narrated by
Tony-winning actor Phylicia Rashad, this documentary features interviews with
Gantt, distinguished scholars and civil rights veterans, and archival footage
and reenactment illuminate the events leading up to Gantt's enrollment, the
unfolding of entrance day and the impact of Clemson's integration on the state
and the nation. In recounting this chapter of American civil rights history,
this film illustrates how a determined young man, his family and his legal
champions brought about permanent change.
Civic Life of Nathaniel Colley - Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 10:30 p.m.
Nathaniel Colley, one of Sacramento's
earliest African American lawyers, spent 50 years shaping the course of
American history. His passion for education and civil rights brought Colley
together with John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Rosa Parks, Edmund
"Pat" Brown and Bill Clinton. This film discovers the achievements of
this Sacramento-born advocate for justice and equality.
Meet Mary Pleasant - Friday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m.
Meet Mary Pleasant, the 19th-century
African American woman born a slave who became an international abolitionist, a
prosperous entrepreneur, and a civil-rights activist who helped alter
modern-day civil rights law. This
unique award-winning documentary presents a colorful look at the unsung and
daring 19th-century African American activist and entrepreneur Mary Ellen
Pleasant, now called 'The Mother of Civil Rights in CA.' Narrated by actress
Ruby Dee, Meet Mary Pleasant interweaves
an acclaimed one-woman enactment with beautiful photo montages and expert commentary
punctuated by live re-enactments and song.
Colored Frames - Sunday, Feb. 9 at 11 p.m.
Colored
Frames
reflects on the last 50 years in African American art by exploring the
influences, inspirations and experiences of black artists. Beginning at the
height of the Civil Rights Era and leading up to the present, this documentary
provides a truthful, unflinching look at often-ignored artists and their
progeny. Impressionistic video collages showcase the wide variety, both
thematically and stylistically, of contemporary pieces of black artists working
in the genres of illustration, abstraction and surrealism, among others. Colored Frames also chronicles the black
artist's struggle for visibility and acceptance in mainstream art society as
well as their experiences challenging assumptions about what constitutes
"blackness," even within their own community.
Jesse Owens: Enduring Spirit - Friday, Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.
This is the story of Jesse Owens, the
son of Alabama sharecroppers who became one of the most celebrated athletes in
the world after winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Owens
attended Ohio State University, where he ran track and shattered many
collegiate records.Jesse Owens: Enduring
Spirit
reveals Owen's longrelationship with Ohio State and looks at the significant impact Owens has made
on the university as well as his influence on the world of sports.
Integrating Ole Miss: James Meredith and
Beyond
- Friday, Feb. 14 at
8:30 p.m.
This program presents the University
of Mississippi (Ole Miss) as a microcosm for the Civil Rights Movement in the
state and across the nation. In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, James
Meredith became the first black student to enroll at Ole Miss. His application
created an uproar that made news around the world and culminated in a deadly
riot and federal intervention. Fifty years later, the university is fully
integrated and, in 2008, an international spotlight was once again on the
university - this time, however, to cover a presidential debate that featured
the man who would become America's first black president. From the status quo
of 1960 to today, Ole Miss, like America, has grown and changed.
Building The Dream - Friday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m.
Building the Dream recounts the journey of an idea for a
national monument honoring Martin Luther King Jr. - from a group of friends
talking around a kitchen table to the creation of this permanent symbol - to
ensure King's Dream will remain alive for future generations. The film follows the 27-year project from inception to
completion, from fundraising, design, and bureaucratic hurdles and shows the
stones arriving on site and being moved into place. Featuring exclusive
interviews from major political figures including Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, Andrew
Young, John Lewis, John Warner, Connie Morella, John Sarbanes, as well as King
family members, Building the Dream rejoices the creation of a dream manifested into a
historic public memorial.
ABOUT
KCET
On-air, online and in the
community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment
of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning
local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around
the world. Throughout its 50-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major
awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its
national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and
children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website,
kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional
information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming
schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org. KCET is a service of
KCETLink.
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