Lakeshore Public Media honors Black History Month with special programming on Lakeshore PBS and Lakeshore Public Radio.
“This Black History Month, we are proud to pay tribute to the individuals, who throughout history, have sacrificed so much in efforts to elicit change and progress. As an organization, we constantly strive to promote equity, inclusion, and compassion to celebrate diversity within our community through our programming and efforts,” Carl Kurek, Lakeshore Public Media’s Vice President of Development said.
Lakeshore Public Radio – 89.1 FM – has dedicated a weekly time slot to honor the history, successes, tribulations, and contributions of African Americans beginning Wednesday, February 1 at 7 p.m.. Community members of northwest Indiana and Chicagoland are encouraged to commemorate Black History Month by tuning-in for stories of black leaders, musicians, artists, activists, and thought provokers every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. throughout the month of February.
“February marks a time to celebrate the African American community as well as a time to reflect on the people that continue to face adversity in a pursuit for equity. Lakeshore Public Radio is dedicated to telling the stories that promote inclusion and diversity through elevating the voices of the people we serve,” Tom Maloney, Lakeshore Public Media’s Vice President of Radio Operations said.
Lakeshore PBS presents new programming to their February lineup that commemorates the life and legacy of African Americans who have made great strides throughout the history of the United States. The station will also re-air programs from prior months that amplify the black community through stories of overcoming adversity, eliciting change, garnering success in an array of fields.
“Ida B. Wells: American Stories,” premiering on Lakeshore PBS February 3 at 7 p.m., is a documentary honoring a woman who was uncompromising in her quest for justice, supported by interviews with Well’s descendants and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting.
Premiering Monday, February 6 at 8 p.m. on Lakeshore PBS, “Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen of New Orleans” honors Irma Thomas’ humanitarian works along with her artistry in contemporary blues. Thomas is centered in this 90-minute documentary that highlights her tribulations, successes, and contributions throughout her music career.
“Becoming Frederick Douglass” debuts on Lakeshore PBS Friday, February 10 at 7 p.m. and explores the story behind a man born into slavery transformed himself into one of the most prominent statesmen and influential voices for democracy in American history and is supported by his writings, images and words to follow his rise to prominence.
Lakeshore’s digital content includes highlights from in-house productions of award-winning local series “Friends and Neighbors” and “Eye on the Arts” showcasing local artists, musicians, poets, and activists whose work reflects the talents, passions, and excellence found within the black community, elevating northwest Indiana and Chicagoland communities at large. This content along with more information can be found by visiting LakeshorePublicMedia.org/black-excellence. These highlights, plus thousands of hours of additional programming honoring African Americans, are available on Lakeshore PBS’ free video app and PBS Passport.
More information including full program schedules can be found at LakeshorePBS.org or LakeshorePublicRadio.org.
Lakeshore Public Media is a community-licensed public media organization that is the Northwest Indiana member of the Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations, serving Indiana’s second largest urban area through their Lakeshore PBS and Lakeshore Public Radio service. Lakeshore PBS broadcasts its main channel over the air on 56, on Comcast on 17 or 21 (HD Channel 239), on DISH Network HD Channel 6320, AT&T U-verse HD Channel 1056 and DirecTV on 56, and online at lakeshorepbs.org. Lakeshore Public Radio can be heard on 89.1 FM and streaming online at lakeshorepublicradio.org or via numerous streaming apps like Spotify, TuneIn Radio and iTunes.
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*New Programming to Lakeshore PBS
In Their Own Words “Chuck Berry”
2/1 | 11 PM
*Ida B. Wells: American Stories
2/3 | 7 PM
City of Ali
2/3 | 9 PM
*Irma Thomas: The Soul Queen of New Orleans
2/6 | 8 PM
Now Hear This “Florence Price and the Great Migration”
2/6 | 9 PM
*Becoming Frederick Douglas
2/10 | 7 PM
Just a Mortal Man – The Jerry Lawson Story
2/8 | 11 PM
Through the Banks of the Red Cedar
2/10 | 9 PM
Sammy Davis, Jr. – American Masters #2707
2/13 | 8 PM
Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom
2/26 | 1:30 PM
Marian Anderson: Once in a Hundred Years
2/26 | 3 PM
70’s Soul Superstars
2/27 | 8:30 PM
Beginning Wednesday, February 1 at 7 p.m. Lakeshore Public Radio will air a new discussion every Wednesday night at 7 in the month of February to commemorate Black History Month.
Air Dates and Times:
Wed. Feb 1 @ 7 PM | Black Enough
Wed. Feb 8 @ 7 PM | The Black History of the Banjo
Wed. Feb 15 @ 7 PM | TBD
Wed. Feb 22 @ 7 PM | TBD
About “Black Enough”: Whether it’s the way we talk, the music we hear, or the clothes we wear- many Black people at some point were made to feel ‘not Black enough’, including Leila and Hana.
In this special from The Stoop podcast, Leila explores with TV host Joshua Johnson what it means to be told she ‘talks white’, Hana talks to a psychologist as she wonders if she has to like everything Black to avoid getting called out, and we go deep with comedian W. Kamau Bell who’s felt awkward in Black circles and in front of Black audiences.
What does it really mean to be ‘Black enough’?
About “The Black History of the Banjo”: We trace the history of this most American of instruments from its ancestors in West Africa through the Caribbean and American South and into the present, as a new generation of Black women artists reclaim the banjo as their own. Rhiannon Giddens, Bassekou Kouyate, Bela Fleck and more talk claw-hammers, trad jazz, Appalachian folk, African ancestors and the ongoing story of American music, which would be woefully incomplete without a Black history of the banjo. Produced by Ben Richmond.
