Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
This program tells the story of William Still, one of the most important yet unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad. The film details the accounts of black abolitionists, who had everything at stake as they helped fugitives follow the North Star to Canada.
Monday, February 6 at 9:00 p.m. on 8.1

Freedom Riders: American Experience
In 1961, segregation seemed to have an overwhelming grip on American society. Many states violently enforced the policy, while the federal government, under the Kennedy administration, remained indifferent, preoccupied with matters abroad. That is, until an integrated band of college students - many of whom were the first in their families to attend a university - decided, en masse, to risk everything and buy a ticket on a Greyhound bus bound for the Deep South. They called themselves the Freedom Riders, and they managed to bring the president and the entire American public face to face with the challenge of correcting civil-rights inequities that plagued the nation. Veteran filmmaker Stanley Nelson's inspirational documentary is the first feature-length film about this courageous band of civil-rights activists. Gaining impressive access to influential figures on both sides of the issue, Nelson chronicles a chapter of American history that stands as an astonishing testament to the accomplishment of youth and what can result from the incredible combination of personal conviction and the courage to organize against all odds.
Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. on 8.1

Unforgettable Hampton Family
Unforgettable Hampton Family, a documentary exploring how Deacon Clark Hampton, a son of slaves, lifted his twelve children out of poverty by making them into successful musicians
Wednesday, February 8 at 10:00 p.m. on 8.1

Frankie Manning: Never Stop Swinging
Produced by Julie Cohen in Frankie's last year, and released shortly after his passing, on the eve of the Frankie95 festival, this documentary is a fitting tribute to a great man. The documentary features the last major interview of Frankie Manning before his death, as well as precious archival footage of his dancing from the 1930's to 2009 in New York, Hollywood, Sweden, France, Italy and Singapore. Footage highlights include scenes of Manning's birthday parties, where he danced with one woman for each year he'd been alive, the legendary dance scene choreographed and headlined by Manning for the film Hellzapoppin, and the phenomenal duet with his 76-year-old son, Chazz, himself a professional dancer. Frankie was a born storyteller, with a huge smile and an even bigger laugh.
Wednesday, February 8 at 10:30 p.m. on 8.1

Slavery By Another Name
SLAVERY BY ANOTHER NAME challenges one of America's most cherished assumptions: the belief that slavery in this country ended with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. This documentary tells a harrowing story of how in the South, even as chattel slavery came to an end, new forms of involuntary servitude, including convict leasing, debt slavery and peonage, took its place with shocking force -- brutalizing and ultimately circumscribing the lives of hundreds of thousands of African Americans well into the 20th century.
Monday, February 13 at 9:00 p.m. on 8.1

Independent Lens: The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Combining fresh and candid 16mm footage that had lain undiscovered in the cellar of Swedish Television for the past 30 years, with contemporary audio interviews from leading African-American artists, activists, musicians and scholars, this program looks at the people, society, culture and style that fuelled an era of convulsive change, 1967-1975. Utilizing an innovative format that riffs on the popular 1970s mix tape format, this is a cinematic and musical journey into the black communities of America.
Tuesday, February 21 at 10:00 p.m. on 8.1

Great Performances: Memphis
Winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best New Musical, "Memphis" turns the radio dial back to the 1950s to tell the story of a white DJ named Huey Calhoun (Chad Kimball), whose love of music transcends racial lines and airwaves. His romantic interest is Felicia Farrell (Montego Glover), a young black singer whose career is on the rise, but who can't make the break out of segregated clubs on her own. When the two collaborate, her soulful sound reaches radio audiences everywhere, and the golden era of early rock & roll takes flight. But as things heat up, whether the world is really ready for their music - and their love - is put to a test.
Friday, February 24 at 9:00 p.m. on 8.1

In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues
A music special in the East Room of the White House, hosted by President and Mrs. Obama. The evening will be an all-star celebration of the musical form that sprang from the Mississippi Delta to the Westside of Chicago, with deep roots in Africa and slavery and influences on modern American music from Soul to Rock and Roll. Leading popular artists' performances will trace that migratory root and pay homage to the great figures of the Blues genre and the songs they made famous - from John Lee Hooker to Muddy Waters.
Monday, February 27 at 8:00 p.m. on 8.1

American Masters Cab Calloway: Sketches
"Hi de hi de hi de ho," the popular refrain from Minnie the Moocher was Cab Calloway's signature song and Harlem's famous Cotton Club was his home stage. A singer, dancer and band leader, Calloway was an exceptional figure in the history of jazz -- a consummate musician, he charmed audiences across the world with boundless energy, bravado and elegant showmanship. His back glide dance step is the precursor to Michael Jackson's moonwalk and his scatting lyrics find their legacy in today's hip-hop and rap. An ambassador for his race, Calloway was the first black musician to tour the segregationist South, as early as 1932. At the top of his game in the jazz and swing eras of the 30s and '40s, he toured as Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess, forever putting his personal stamp on It Ain't Necessarily So. His career flagged until he was rediscovered in the 1980s Blues Brothers and even on Sesame Street, becoming a new cult hero of sorts.
Monday, February 27 at 9:00 p.m. on 8.1

Independent Lens: Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock
As a black woman who was a feminist before the term was invented, Daisy Bates refused to accept her assigned place in society. This documentary tells the story of her life and public support of nine black students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, which culminated in a constitutional crisis -- pitting a president against a governor and a community against itself.
Tuesday, February 28 at 10:00 p.m. on 8.1

Independent Lens: More Than A Month
Shukree Hassan Tilghman, a 29-year-old African-American filmmaker, is on a cross-country campaign to end Black History Month. Through this tongue-in-cheek journey, "More Than a Month" investigates what the treatment of history tells us about race and equality in a "post-racial" America.
Wednesday, February 29 at 10:00 p.m. on 8.1