Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise

Series

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

MLK and Young Black Activists

2m 9s

As black America re-defined itself, the civil rights struggle was far from over, and as the 1960s wore on, many young black activists came to see Martin Luther King as out of step with the times. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

Black Power

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.

The Million Man March

2m 46s

On October 16, 1995, the Million Man March took place in Washington, D.C.. It rose the central question facing black America at the time. Were the problems internally created or part of the unfinished business of the Civil Rights movement? Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.

Racial Profiling

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.

Social Media and Social Justice

2m 18s

Are there more incidents of violence against black people by the police, or are we just more aware of it because of digital media? Explore this question and more in Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, Nov. 15 & 22.

Media Response to Hurricane Katrina

2m 10s

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Nearly 100,000 people found themselves stranded without food or shelter, revealing the deep vulnerability of the poorest black communities. The disaster was compounded by the government's slow response and relief efforts were hampered by media reporting of crime sprees. Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise airs Nov. 15 & 22.

Reagan's Policies and Black America

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.

Affirmative Action

2m 24s

In the 1970s, backlash against affirmative action was in full swing, driven by a growing sense that the nation had done enough to redress centuries of racism. Yet racism was still a factor in American life, and, despite the progress, many African Americans were still struggling. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.

The Myth of the Welfare Queen

2m 26s

In the late 1970s, Reagan perpetuated the myth of African Americans taking advantage of the welfare system, and advocated cutting social services to aid the economy. Learn about the impact of this divisive rhetoric in Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise, Nov. 15 & 22 on PBS.

White Flight

2m 18s

White flight was the sign of a much larger problem. It illuminated profound anxieties in the overlap among class, culture, and race, suggesting that, for all the signs of progress, America was still not ready for real integration. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

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.

The Black Panthers

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.

Lowndes County and the Black Panther Symbol

2m 3s

In 1965, the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committie (SNCC) sent activists to rural Lowndes County, Alabama. Among them was 23-year-old Stokely Carmichael. The activists helped create an independent political party for black voters to counteract suppression. The symbol used was a black panther. Watch Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Nov. 15 & 22.

Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise Intro

1m 40s

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 of black America—and our nation as a whole.

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