Last year, PBS stations across the country announced that June 19th will be observed as a holiday to address the systemic issues of oppression, inequity and racism facing the Black community. This year, we continue this observance and showcase stories that show the struggles of being Black in America with the following programs:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr: Uncovering America (June 19th at noon on WPBT) Courtney B. Vance hosts this celebration of renowned, respected, and popular historian, author and filmmaker, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Featuring appearances by distinguished guests seen in Dr. Gates’ work, including Jodie Foster, Ken Burns, Jelani Cobb and LL Cool J.
• Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America (June 19th at 2 PM on WPBT) shows how the advent of the automobile brought new mobility and freedom for African Americans but also exposed them to discrimination and deadly violence, and how that history resonates today.
• Hustle to Scale (June 18th at 10 PM on WPBT) showcases the journey of Black entrepreneurs who intentionally chose to build their ventures in Overtown - the once thriving economic epicenter of Miami’s Black community - and explores themes of systemic barriers to economic mobility through the lens of the Black founder experience.
• Invisible History: Middle Florida’s Hidden Roots (June 21st at 10 PM on WPBT; June 26th at 3 PM on WXEL) sheds light on the little-known history of plantations and the enslaved in North Florida. The film seeks to advance a sense of place and identity for hundreds of thousands of African Americans by exploring the invisible history of slavery in Leon County.
About South Florida PBS:
SOUTH FLORIDA PBS is Florida’s largest public media company, including Public Broadcasting stations WXEL-TV, serving the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast, and WPBT2, serving Miami-Dade and Broward counties, and the Health Channel, a 24/7 television and multi-platform health and wellness service. SOUTH FLORIDA PBS connects organizations and institutions across our region and preserves South Florida's history. Leading the way in this global society, SOUTH FLORIDA PBS serves diverse communities from Key West to the Sebastian Inlet and from the Atlantic Ocean west to Lake Okeechobee. SOUTH FLORIDA PBS is committed to creating and presenting unique arts, education and cultural heritage programming, and tells different local stories across a variety of digital media platforms. Some of our award-winning productions include James Patterson’s Kid Stew, Changing Seas, Art Loft and Your South Florida.