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

this 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.

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

relationship 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.

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. 

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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