Black History Month
ITVS in the News
A sampling of coverage from The New York Times, Realscreen.com, and more…
The New York Times: Dot Earth Blog: If a Tree Falls, Can it when an Oscar?
…an extraordinary documentary by the brilliant young filmmakers Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman that explores the prosecution of members of the Earth Liberation Front for a series of costly arson fires.
The New York Times: Year-End Lists: Top Ten Movies of 2011
David Weissman’s documentary We Were Here was among the top films (fiction & documentary) selected by Stephen Holden.
Womens eNews: Daughters of Imprisoned Moms Regroup for a Sequel
Troop 1500, rebroadcasting tonight on PBS’s Independent Lens, is about Girl Scouts who trek together to visit mothers behind bars. Director Ellen Spiro talks here about the reunion sequel she is making with the daughters, five years later.
Realscreen.com: PBS unveils 2012 Black History Month line-up
U.S. public broadcaster PBS has unveiled the programming for Black History Month in February, including a number of specials and feature docs looking at a variety of historical events from the post-Emancipation era to the rise of the Black Power movement.
Visit our pressroom to find additional coverage of ITVS programs >>
Celebrate Diversity with America Ferrera & Independent Lens
IL host reminds us that everyday is heritage day
There is a heritage or history month for practically every ethnicity, race, and identity. Throughout February, we on BTB have been highlighting documentaries by and about filmmakers of color, in honor of Black History Month. From NBPC’s AfroPop Series to the Independent Lens doc When I Rise featuring the legendary opera singer Barbara Smith Conrad.
Now, Independent Lens host America Ferrera reminds us to celebrate diversity on a daily basis. Know your roots and history, and join with others to celebrate theirs, every Tuesday at 10 PM on PBS.
Celebrate Black History Month with When I Rise
WATCH THE FULL LENGTH DOCUMENTARY STREAMING NOW ON PBS VIDEO
If you missed the Independent Lens premiere of When I Rise last night on PBS, you can now catch the film in it’s entirety streaming on PBS video. And don’t forget to check out the exclusive video extras that you can only find on the Independent Lens website and read yesterday’s New York Times feature about the film.
The Ultimate Cultural Exchange, Tonight on AfroPoP
The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC) keeps the premieres coming at you this season with their series AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange. Tonight starts in Columbia with a single-mother fighting some big odds in Uprooted and ends with Soweto train surfing in Sanza Hanza (King Surfer). Stick with AfroPoP tonight on your local WORLD station at 7 PM EST / 9 PM PST.
February is More Than a Month
This month, BTB will be featuring films by and about African Americans and, in particular , work from the AfroPoP series produced by the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). Our work with this organization and filmmakers of color extend far beyond the month of February.
To start things off, here is an interview with African American filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman, who traveled on a tongue-and-cheek, cross-country campaign to end Black History Month in the film More Than A Month. Watch the interview below.
Shukree Tilghman: The End of Black History Month
ITVS offers viewers the opportunity to explore the rich and vibrant history and cultural contributions of African Americans throughout the year, but this month we’re offering a special slate of new and encore programs in honor of Black History Month. We recently asked Shukree Tilghman, filmmaker of the ITVS-funded film More Than A Month, to share his thoughts on Black History Month and why he believes it no longer exists. Read his take below.
Shukree Tilghman
It’s February, time to take a moment –– or a day or a week or the whole month –– to recognize, honor, and celebrate the unique and multi-faceted history of the African in America.
At least that’s what I thought February was about. Turns out I was wrong.
This seems an appropriate time to mention that I am smack in the middle of making an ITVS-funded documentary film, More Than A Month, which follows me on a cross-country campaign to end Black History Month (BHM). Through the lens of this journey, the film takes a critical, and sometimes comedic look at what it means that we have a black history month and what it would mean if we didn’t.
Well, I have some interesting news to report from the field: Black History Month has ended.
I don’t mean it’s March 1, I mean BHM has ceased to exist. That’s right. It’s over. Gone. Caput. I cannot tell you exactly when it ended, but it’s gone. And despite the film and the campaign within –– I didn’t do it (so don’t go pointing the finger at me). But you can follow the journey at morethanamonth.org. Okay, enough shameless plugs. Back to the point.
All evidence that I have collected so far, from “man on the street” interviews, to spending time at a black advertising agency and with BHM planning committees, to attending BHM events, points to a somewhat sudden truth. February is no longer Black History Month. Nope. It’s Black PEOPLE Month… meaning anything that has to with black life and culture is fair game in February. Anything.
Are you a black author? February book tour!
A black designer? February fashion show!
A black out of work actor? Don’t worry. February presents a plethora of opportunities for you, and most of them won’t be historical in nature so you can avoid the awkwardness of playing a “servant.” Well…most of you.
Are you a semi-famous political commentator with a take on racism? CNN has gigs for you, player!
New Films Available on the PBS Video Player
ITVS programs regularly explore the rich and vibrant history and cultural contributions of African Americans. In fact, three ITVS films –– Brother to Brother, Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, and Life and Debt –– were recently recognized by The Grio’s “Ten Most Important Black Films of the Decade.”
In celebration of Black History Month, ITVS and PBS are offering a special slate of new and encore programs throughout February. Select programs are also available on the PBS video player. Be sure to check out the Independent Lens documentary February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four, which looks at the pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement when four college students staged a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960. Also, be sure to check out last year’s Independent Lens Audience Award winner Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene, which tells the unlikely story of America’s original shock-jock, Petey Greene, who battled the system and his own demons during a time of civil unrest in the nation’s capital.
Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes and P-Star Rising, both Independent Lens documentaries, will be available online February 10.
ITVS Celebrates Black History Month
Nine-year-old Pricilla from P-Star Rising, airing Feb. 9 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS.
Mine, premiering Feb. 16 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS.
ITVS and PBS offers viewers the opportunity to explore the rich and vibrant history and cultural contributions of African Americans throughout the year, but this month offers a special slate of new and encore programs in honor of Black History Month.
Independent Lens brings race to the forefront with four new films in February. Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness, debuting Feb. 2, explores the often-overlooked legacy of Jewish anthropologist Melville Herskovits, whose ideas in the 40s and 50s challenged the accepted assumptions about race and culture. Then, tune in on Feb. 9 for P-Star Rising, which looks at nine-year-old Pricilla who wants to be the youngest female rap star ever and her single father who is determined to help her make it big. This film also closes out the special line-up of compelling films as part of Independent Lens’s Music Month.
A third film, Mine, premiering Feb. 16, tells the poignant and powerful story of animals left behind during Katrina, and of the struggles of hurricane victims to reunite with their beloved pets. Finally, Behind the Rainbow, airing Feb. 23, unearths once-hidden realities of South Africa’s political obstacles on the path to democracy.
Other ITVS films airing this month on PBS include: February One: The Story of the Greensboro Four, which looks at the pivotal event in the Civil Rights Movement when four college students staged a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1960, and Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968, which investigates the continued cover-up of the tragedy of 1968 on the campus of South Carolina State University and follows ongoing efforts to seek justice.
Get local broadcast information >>
Thousands of hours of PBS programming are available on the PBS Video Portal, including a special collection for Black History Month.
Watch these video clips of upcoming new Independent Lens programs (check local listings):
Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness, Feb. 2 at 10:00 PM on Independent Lens on PBS
Filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman Discusses MORE THAN A MONTH
ITVS funds, distributes and promotes new programs produced by independent producers primarily for public television and beyond.
Check out the clip below with filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman, who received Open Call funds for MORE THAN A MONTH, a tongue-in-cheek film about his cross-country campaign to end Black History Month. The film looks at what the treatment of history tells us about race and equality in a “post-racial” America. Learn more about his film, which filmmakers inspire him and the challenges of exploring this topic.
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
- #ILDocClub
- All Video
- Ask Programming
- Audio Podcasts
- Awards
- Community Cinema
- Community Classroom
- Exclusive
- Film Festivals
- Filmmaker Profile
- From the President's Desk
- FUTURESTATES
- Global Voices
- In the News
- Independent Lens
- Indie Roundup
- Inside Indies
- Institutional Updates
- ITVS Broadcasts
- ITVS Deep Dive
- ITVS Funding
- ITVS indie roundup
- ITVS Indies Showcase
- ITVS International
- Live Chat
- Minority Consortia
- New Online
- On the Road
- Producer Resources
- Public Media
- Recently Funded
- Social Media
- Social Screening
- Special Events
- Talkback
- Uncategorized
- Women and Girls Lead
Related sites
Film Blogs
Public Media Blogs
-
Get the Beyond the Box e-newsletter, sent monthly with the latest news about ITVS, funding opportunities and more. Enter your email and sign up.
-
Sign up for the Independent Lens newsletter. Get news once a week during the broadcast season (fall-spring).