History

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise

In his four-hour series, BLACK AMERICA SINCE MLK: AND STILL I RISE, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. embarks on a deeply personal journey through the last fifty years of African American history. Joined by leading scholars, celebrities, and a dynamic cast of people who shaped these years, Gates travels from the victories of the civil rights movement up to today, asking profound questions about the state

1974 Boston and School Desegregation

2m 21s

The Supreme Court outlawed school segregation in 1954, yet two decades later, many children still attended segregated schools — because they lived in segregated neighborhoods. The reality was white neighborhoods were wealthier, with better-funded classrooms. Boston was one of many cities where schools were separate and deeply unequal. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

Extras + Features

  • Black Power: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Black Power

    S1 - 2m 14s

    During it's rise, Black Power groups organized across the country — each with their own idea about what the phrase meant. At first, Dr. King and many of his allies saw Black Power as a challenge — both to non-violence and the goal of integration — that might speed the unraveling of the always fragile interracial civil rights coalition. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

  • Reagan's Policies and Black America: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Reagan's Policies and Black America

    S1 - 2m 21s

    Ronald Reagan's policies in the 1980s had immense consequences for America's already-struggling inner-cities — as the lack of federal support made the jobs of black civic leaders all but impossible. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.

  • The Black Panthers: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Black Panthers

    S1 - 1m 52s

    The Black Panthers put their revolutionary rhetoric into action. They developed community programs, offering clothing and care to the needy, and free breakfast to the needy. Did the Panthers embrace a willingness to use arms to defend themselves? Absolutely. Unfortunately, that’s usually the only part of the story that we get. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

  • Racial Profiling: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Racial Profiling

    S1 - 2m 22s

    Racial profiling has led to tragedy on several occasions. On August 9, 2014, a police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The night after Brown's death, residents gathered in protest. The police response shocked the country. Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise airs Nov. 15 & 22.

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