Historical Context & Additional Resources
Resources to help us deepen our understanding of racism in America.
Black History & Historical Individuals
- Reconstruction: America After the Civil War with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
- Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
- Project C: Lessons from the American Civil Rights Movement
- East Lake Meadows: Redlining | Stereotyping and the Narrative of the Welfare Queen
- American Icons: Malcom X | Rosa Parks | Muhammed Ali | Sojourner Truth | George Washington Carver | Martin Luther King Jr. | Jackie Robinson
- American Masters: James Baldwin | Maya Angelou | Lorraine Hansberry | August Wilson | Zora Neale Hurston | Bill T. Jones | Sammy Davis Jr. | Ralph Ellison
Race
- What is “Race”?
- Is Race Real?
- America After Ferguson: America and Race
- Confronting Anti-Black Racism
Racial Bias
- Confronting Bias
- Who, Me? Biased?: Understanding Implicit Bias
- Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle: Objectivity and Bias in Journalism
Resources for Adults working with Children
- PBS Parents
- PBS LearningMedia (resources to share with young children)
- Collection: World Cultures Collection
- Video: Same/Different with Abby & Elmo
- Media Gallery: Alike & Different | Daniel Tiger’s Life’s Little Lessons
- Song: Count Me In | Sesame Street
- Song: What I Am | Sesame Street
- Song: You Are Special | Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
- PBS NewsHour
- 6 Books to Read with Your Kids That Celebrate Differences and Diversity
- 13-year old Founder of #1000blackgirlbooks Shares Some of Her Favorite Reads
- The Talk
- It’s Never too Early to Talk to Your Kids About Race
- How One Parent Talks to His Biracial Kids About Race
- NPR
Watch Online
Reading Frederick Douglass (Preview)
A stirring speech that is as meaningful today as it was on that day.
Latest Updates
TV Schedule
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the black atlantic (1500-1800)
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
Thursday, 7/2 at 2:00 P.M. on WORLD -
the age of slavery (1800-1860)
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
Thursday, 7/2 at 3:00 P.M. on WORLD -
out of the shadows/move on up
Black America Since MLK: and Still I Rise
Sunday, 7/5 at 5:00 P.M. on NHPBS -
into the fire (1861-1896)
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross
Thursday, 7/9 at 2:00 P.M. on WORLD
The Only Piano in the Projects
The Lightfoot brothers recall how they ended up with a piano while living in East Lake.
The Suburbs: A Creation of Government Policies
In 1956, the government further enabled the middle-class movement to the suburbs.
East Lake Meadows
The story of a public housing community raises critical questions about race and poverty.
'Your Property Values Will Crumble'
In a decade, East Lake went from being predominantly white to 90% African American.
Deteriorating Conditions with No Help in Sight
Tenants in East Lake Meadows soon find things aren't getting things fixed.
Official Trailer
The story of a public housing community raises critical questions about race and poverty.
Chapter 1 | Stonewall Uprising | PBS
Watch Chapter 1 of Stonewall Uprising.
Reconstruction | Part 1, Hour 1
The aftermath of the Civil War was bewildering, exhilarating . . . and terrifying.
Reconstruction | Part 1, Hour 2
Post-Civil War America was a new world.
Reconstruction | Part 2, Hour 1
Hour three of the series examines the years 1877-1896
Reconstruction | Part 2, Hour 2
Racist imagery saturated popular culture and Southern propaganda manipulated the story.
Reconstruction | Hour 3 Preview
Hour three of the series examines the years 1877-1896.
Reconstruction | Hour 2 Preview
A controversial presidential election in 1876 deals Reconstruction a grievous blow.
Reconstruction | Hour 4 Preview
Racist imagery saturated popular culture and Southern propaganda manipulated the story.
Reconstruction| Episode 2 Preview
A look at the rise of Jim Crow and the turn of the century.
Reconstruction: America After the Civil War | Inside Look
See how our past affects our present with this inside look of Reconstruction.
Reconstruction | Hour 1 Preview
Reconstruction explores the transformative years following the American Civil War.
Reconstruction| Extended Trailer
Here is an extended first look at Reconstruction: America After the Civil War.
The Talk - Race in America
The conversation parents of color have with their children about interactions with police.
The Talk - Race in America: PBS Previews
Explore how parents of color talk to children about police interactions.
The Talk - Race in America: Promo
How parents of color talk with their children about behavior around the police.
How studying history can lead to understanding
Author and filmmaker Raquel Cepeda explains how important cultural history is.
The importance of sharing different cultural experiences
Author and filmmaker Raquel Cepeda shares how important The Talk is to her.
It's never to early to talk to your kids about race
Author and Filmmaker Raquel Cepeda says it's never to early to start talking
South Carolina police on losing officers in the line of fire
South Carolina police talk about the pain of losing an officer in the line of fire
How Charles Blow felt after his son was stopped by police
Charles Blow shares a story about an encounter his son had with the police.
Kenya Barris shares "the talk" his mother gave him as a kid
Kenya shares the talk his mother gave him when he was young.
Kenya Barris talks to his young son about protests and anger
Kenya Barris shares a story of how his young son responded to protestors.
How John Singleton's 3-year-old son reacted to the police
John Singleton shares a story about how his young son reacted to the police.
Deputy Carey Roberts finishes her training
Deputy Carey Roberts finishes her training to join the police force in South Carolina.
How one parent talks to his biracial kids about race
Alex Mindt shares how he talks to his biracial children about race
Christian Reyes on learning about his own prejudice
Christian Reyes shares how as a teenager he learned a tough lesson about race
How we limit ourselves when we think about race as binary
Author and filmmaker Raquel Cepeda rebukes the idea of choosing one race.
Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise - Part 2
Black America Since MLK looks at the last five decades of African American history.
Social Media and Social Justice
Explore the role of social media in furthering social justice. Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
Media Response to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. Learn more Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
Affirmative Action
In the 1970s, backlash against affirmative action was in full swing. Watch Nov. 15 & 22.
The Myth of the Welfare Queen
Learn about the myth perpetuated by divisive rhetoric about welfare. Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
White Flight
White flight illuminated profound challenges faced by Black America. Airs Nov. 15 & 22.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Talks About Black America Since MLK
Imagine if Martin Luther King, Jr. woke up and said, "what's happened?"
Racial Profiling
Racial profiling has led to tragedy on several occasions. Learn more Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
Black Celebrities in the 1980s
See how success of black public figures in the 1980s changed America. Nov. 15 & 22.
The Million Man March
The Million Man March took place in 1995 in Washington, D.C.. Watch Nov 15 & 22.
Reagan's Policies and Black America
Reagan's policies had immense consequences for black America. Watch Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
Official Trailer
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a journey through the last 50 years of black history.
1974 Boston and School Desegregation
In 1970s Boston, schools were separate and deeply unequal. Learn more Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
The Black Panthers
The Black Panthers put revolutionary rhetoric into action. Learn more Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.
MLK and Young Black Activists
In the late 1960s, many young black activists saw Dr. King as out of touch. Watch Nov. 15.