WTCI Features Several Programs in February
in Honor of Black History Month
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – January 22, 2010 – WTCI will feature several programs in February in honor of Black History Month. These programs highlight critical historical moments and inspiring individuals who have contributed to our nation’s history.
“From history to performing arts to independent film, WTCI offers viewers the opportunity to explore the rich and vibrant history and cultural contributions of African Americans throughout the year,” said Paul Grove, President & CEO of WTCI. “In honor of Black History Month in February, WTCI is offering a special slate of programs to explore and pay tribute to the rich history of our nation.”
Tuesday, February 2 at 11:30 p.m. "Independent Lens: Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness." Examines the forgotten legacy of Melville Herskovits, a controversial Jewish anthropologist whose writings in the 40s and 50s challenged widely held assumptions about race and culture.
Wednesdays, February 10-March 3 at 8 p.m. "Faces of America with Henry Louis Gates, Jr." Looking beyond the African-American experience to the wider immigrant story, Harvard scholar Gates unravels the American tapestry, following the threads of his guests’ lives back to their earliest origins around the globe. Along the way, the many stories he uncovers — of displacement and homecoming, of material success and dispossession, of assimilation and discrimination — illuminate the American experience.
Thursday, February 11 at 11 p.m. "In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement." President and Mrs. Obama host a concert in the White House East Room in honor of Black History Month. Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Seal, Smokey Robinson and the Blind Boys of Alabama perform.
Sundays, February 14-February 28 at 2 p.m. "The Civil War." Ken Burns' epic documentary brings to life America's most destructive — and defining — conflict. With digitally enhanced images and new stereo sound, THE CIVIL WAR is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one.
Sunday, February 14 at 10:30 p.m. "Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize." An A-list cast of comedians — including Jerry Seinfeld and Chris Rock — salutes Bill Cosby, the 12th recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Taped at the Kennedy Center ceremony, the program includes clips of Cosby’s career highlights: from his role on "I Spy" to the two comedy series bearing his name.
Tuesday, February 16 at 11 p.m. "Independent Lens: Mine/Home." “Mine”: The poignant and powerful story of animals left behind during Katrina and of the struggles of hurricane victims to reunite with their beloved pets. “Home”: Documentary short mixes imagery from the filmmaker's childhood home before and after Katrina.
Sunday, February 21 at 12 a.m. "Soundstage: Seal." Together with legendary music producer David Foster, Seal adds his signature touch to some of the best soul songs ever created. In his stunning SOUNDSTAGE performance, Seal evokes an era when music vividly captured emotion and romance.
Tuesday, February 23 at 11 p.m. "Independent Lens: Behind the Rainbow." Over two tumultuous decades, South Africa has finally arrived on its own bumpy road to democracy. With the 2009 presidential election looming as a historical turning point, “Behind the Rainbow” is a previously untold account of the country’s political problems, struggles and realities.
Sunday, February 28 at 4:30 p.m. "Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre 1968." On February 8, 1968, eight seconds of police gunfire left three African-American students dying and 27 wounded on the campus of South Carolina State College at Orangeburg. The shooting capped off four days of student protests over the desegregation of the city's only bowling alley. Often termed "the Kent State of the South," and pre-dating it by two years, the shooting marked the first time in U.S. history that police opened fire on students.
Sunday, February 28 at 5:30 p.m. "Locked Out: The Fall of Massive Resistance." In 1958, the Commonwealth of Virginia led other Southern states in refusing the U.S. Supreme Court's mandate to integrate its public schools in the aftermath of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Several counties "locked down" or closed their public schools altogether — one for as long as five years — rather than allow black students into all-white schools. This program sheds light on this dark moment in history through interviews, academic commentary and archival footage from the era.
