Black History Specials

Airs Wednesday, February 22 at 8:00 p.m. Despite disability, poverty, isolation and prejudice, a surprising number of blind African American musicians who came from the gospel tradition influenced not just gospel music, but blues, bluegrass, and American vernacular music up to and beyond rock and roll. Using narrative, archival audio, interviews, scholarly commentary and music, Heavenly Sight tells this little known story through broadcast and a comprehensive, interactive web site.

Airs Wednesday, February 22 at 11:00 a.m. Ruby Elzy was one of George Gershwin's handpicked leads for the original production of Porgy and Bess. Hailing from the small Mississippi town of Pontotoc, Ruby Elzy's voice carried her to Ohio State University, Julliard, Broadway, and concerts coast to coast. Tragically, her life would end before she took the next step to the Metropolitan Opera stage in Aida. This program is based upon the book Black Diva of the Thirties - The Life of Ruby Elzy, by David E. Weaver, published by the University Press of Mississippi. Archival recordings for this program were also provided by Mr. Weaver. 

Airs Monday, February 20 at 9:00 p.m.  During the vibrant years of the Harlem Renaissance, music, religion, and spitituality were interconnected -- not just in the religious setting of the church, but in the jazz club, the dance hall, the rent party, even the political street rally.  Writer Carl Hancock Rux, Reverend Calvin Butts of the Abyssinian Baptist Church, historian Farah Griffin, Professors Josef Sorett and Obery Hendricks, and others explore these powerful interconnections.  Includes the voices of Langston Hughes, poet Sterling Brown, Marcus Garvey, as well as readings from Hughes, Arna Bontemps, and musician James Reese Europe.  Music includes  The Abyssinian Baptist Choir, Geri Allen, Ma Rainey,  James Reese Europe's 369th US Infantry "Hell Fighters" Band,  R

Airs Sunday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m.  Maya Angelou defines Black History, as it is embraced in our popular culture with an emphasis on the civil rights era and a poetic acknowledgement of late activist, Rosa Parks. This one hour historical trek takes us from the 1950’s thru the 1990’s. Dr. Maya Angelou
renders a poetic portrait of the day-to-day lives of African Americans during the civil rights era, when artists and activists, musicians and ministers joined hands with people from all walks of life to bring about a historic change in our culture.

Airs Sunday, February 19 at 5:00 p.m.  From The Kitchen Sisters and PRX, a Black History Month Special: "Can Do: Stories of Black Visionaries, Seekers, and Entrepreneurs," with host, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress, Alfre Woodard. These stories come from The Kitchen Sisters collection -- stories of black pioneers, self-made men and self-taught women, neighborhood heroes and visionaries. People who said "yes we can" and then did. A man tapes the history of his town with a scavenged cassette recorder, a woman fights for social justice with a pie, a DJ ignites his community with a sound.