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PBS presents a curated collection of films, series, and digital content to celebrate Black History Month 2024
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Programs Delve into the Intersection of Black History, Music, Culture, and Experiences
Premieres Include Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s GOSPEL, and a New Season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS
PBS will celebrate Black History Month with an expanded new slate of programming, specials, and digital content, shining a spotlight on the diversity of people, stories, and experiences in the Black community.
Highlights include Season 10 of FINDING YOUR ROOTS, GOSPEL LIVE! PRESENTED BY HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. (Feb. 9), and GOSPEL (Feb. 12). In addition, a new PBS KIDS series, LYLA IN THE LOOP will premiere on Feb. 5.
As a complement to the primetime schedule and continuing for the third consecutive year is THE BLOCK PARTY, a streaming collection and social campaign presented by PBS’s Black Culture Connection, created to amplify Black stories across PBS’s digital platforms through curated and original bonus content.
“PBS is proud to bring forth stories from diverse perspectives with documentaries such as GOSPEL and those from INDEPENDENT LENS and POV, which apply a wide lens on the lived experiences of the Black community,” said Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “We’re also excited to bring back audience favorites with the return of FINDING YOUR ROOTS and THE BLOCK PARTY, highlighting content that audiences can access during Black History Month and all year long.”
“At PBS KIDS, we want kids across the country to see themselves represented in our content, and also want to be a window into experiences that may be different from their own,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We’re excited to welcome Lyla and the Loops family to PBS KIDS and know families across the country will be drawn to this warm, funny, and smart series.”
Below is the full schedule of Black History Month 2024 programs premiering on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App—available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.
FINDING YOUR ROOTS (Season 10)
Premieres: Tuesdays Jan. 2 – Feb. 20, 8 p.m. ET
Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. guides 21 compelling guests – including three of his loyal viewers – deep into their family trees, revealing surprising stories that transcend borders, illuminating an American root system fortified by its diversity.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Racist Trees”
Premieres: Monday, Jan. 22, 10 p.m. ET
Were trees intentionally planted to exclude and segregate a Black neighborhood? In this documentary, racial tensions ignite in Palm Springs, California, over a fight to remove a wall of trees that form a barrier believed to exclude a community.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Razing Liberty Square”
Premieres: Monday, Jan. 29, 10 p.m. ET
Liberty City, Miami, was home to one of the oldest segregated public housing projects in the United States. Now, with rising sea levels, the neighborhood’s higher ground has become something else: real estate gold.
LYLA IN THE LOOP
Premieres: Monday, February 5
PBS KIDS’ newest funny and engaging animated series for kids ages 4-8 follows Lyla, a dynamic 7-year-old Black girl, who lives in a big city with her close-knit family, fantastical blue sidekick Stu, and a host of relatable and quirky characters in her community, who use creative and strategic problem-solving and critical thinking skills to address a range of everyday problems together. Produced by Mighty Picnic and Pipeline Studios, the new series will debut in both English and Spanish.
GOSPEL LIVE! PRESENTED BY HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR
Premieres: Friday, Feb. 9, 9 p.m. ET
GOSPEL LIVE! PRESENTED BY HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. is a concert celebration honoring the legacy of Gospel music in America. As a companion to GOSPEL, hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., secular and gospel artists sing their favorite gospel classics.
GOSPEL
Premieres: Monday, Feb. 12, 9 p.m. ET
Musical styles come and go, but there’s one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage, and wisdom from the pulpit to the choir lofts on any given Sunday. GOSPEL, the latest history series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr., digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song.
INDEPENDENT LENS “Breaking the News”
Premieres: Premieres: Monday, Feb. 12, 9 p.m. ET
Frustrated by a broken news media system, a group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists launch The 19th*, an unprecedented digital news startup dedicated to combatting misinformation. Challenging the status quo, the 19th* aims to elevate voices often left out of mainstream news. “Breaking the News” captures honest discussions at The 19th* around race and gender equity, revealing change doesn’t come easy.
THE COST OF INHERITANCE: AN AMERICA REFRAMED SPECIAL
Now streaming on PBS.org, PBS App, and WorldChannel.org
WORLD’s America ReFramed explores the issue of reparations in the U.S. with a focus on historical injustices, systemic inequities, and critical dialogue. Through narratives, inquiries, and insights, the film aims to inspire understanding of the scope and rationale of the reparations debate.
POV “Brief Tender Light”
Now streaming on PBS.org and the PBS App
At the elite MIT, a Ghanaian alum follows four African students striving to become change agents for home. Now, living in America, each must refine their ideas about the world, themselves, and how to transform youthful ideals into action as adults.