Rise! (1940-1968)
african americans: many rivers to cross

This series chronicles the full sweep of African American history, from the origins of slavery on the African continent through five centuries of historic events right up to present day -- when America has a black President, yet remains a nation deeply divided by race. It explores the origins of the people from Africa whose enslavement led to the creation of the African American people, as well as the multiplicity of cultural institutions, political strategies, and religious and social perspectives that African Americans have developed against unimaginable odds. All of these elements define black culture and society in its extraordinarily rich and compelling diversity from slavery to freedom, from the plantation to the White House. Hosted by Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., and drawing on some of America's top historians and heretofore untapped primary sources, the series guides viewers on a journey across 500 years and two continents to shed new light on the experience of being an African American.

Episode Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes and 57 seconds

Episode Number: 105


Watch African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross - Clips, Episodes & Previews




NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS Five Channels

NHPBS - 11.1

NH Explore - 11.2

NH World - 11.3

NH Create - 11.4

NH Kids - 11.5

Learn More


NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

Lucy Worsley's Holmes vs. Doyle | Doctor and Detective
Great Performances | Henry Mancini 100 at the Hollywood Bowl
Christmas with John Rutter at Preston Hollow | Christmas with John Rutter at Preston Hollow
Christmas With The Tabernacle Choir | Joy: Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir
Lidia Celebrates America | Lidia Celebrates America: Changemakers
Local, USA | Firelighters: Fire is Medicine
Austin City Limits | ACL Presents 23rd Annual Americana Honors
The Caverns Sessions | BIG RICHARD
Leonardo da Vinci | Part Two: Painter-God
Secrets of the Dead | Lost Treasures of Angkor - King's Gold
Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire | Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire
Nature | Lions of the Skeleton Coast
Dad's Secret War: France 1944 | Dad's Secret War: France 1944
NOVA | Decoding the Universe: Quantum
Youth Music of the World | Nebraska Youth Orchestra + West Boca Raton Community HS in Rome
Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration | Salute to Service: A Veterans Day Celebration 2024
Antiques Roadshow | Celebrating Native American Heritage
Swing Lo' | Swing Lo'
The Marlow Murder Club | Episode 4
VOCES | Our Texas, Our Vote
The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause | The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause
Next at the Kennedy Center | Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Deep River
POV | Twice Colonized
VOCES American Historia: The Untold History of Latinos | Solidarity in a New Era
Beyond Debate: A Revolution in Education | Beyond Debate: A Revolution in Education
Jazz Music Awards 2023 | Jazz Music Awards 2023
Milk Street's My Family Recipe | Adena's Hot Milk Sponge
American Experience | The American Vice President
Southern Songwriters with Patrick Davis | Allen University, Columbia
Big Cats 24/7 | Episode Four
American Masters | Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined [ASL]
America's Test Kitchen | Easy Chicken Dinners
Cook's Country | A Bold Brunch
Hispanic Heritage Awards | 37th Hispanic Heritage Awards
After October 7: A Personal Journey to Kfar | After October 7: A Personal Journey to Kfar