In this 1968 segment, singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte talks to the Bed-Stuy community in a local Brooklyn park, and takes a Q&A from Bed-Stuy residents. Watch now.

This episode of “Black Journal,” one of the earliest black-produced newsmagazines on television, features a profile of L.A. grassroots empowerment organization Operation Bootstrap; a segment on the challenges faced by elected black public officials; and the words and music of singer Nina Simone. Watch now.

Historian Henry Louis Gates’ quest to piece together Lincoln’s complex life takes him from Illinois to Gettysburg to D.C., and face-to-face with people who live with Lincoln every day – relic hunters, re-enactors, and others. You can watch the full documentary here.

The 90-minute film features the nation’s foremost Lincoln scholars recounting a great American drama: the two tumultuous months when the joy of peace was shattered by the heartache of Lincoln’s death. With dramatizations. Watch the full program online.

Public TV programs like Soul!, Say Brother and Black Journal were only a few of the shows by, about, and for black America. Here’s a more comprehensive list of local, national, and award-winning black community television from the past forty years.

It’s that time of year again–African-American History Month. Read about our ‘Broadcasting While Black’ web project, which covers the early years of black-produced public affairs and arts programs for television, from 1968-on. See all articles and videos in the project, or read more here.

In 1968, after decades of unfair representation in the media, a new generation of African-American producers, writers, and editors brought their views to programs like Black Journal, Soul!, Say Brother, and many others. Read about the history of black-produced TV programs here.

Before it became Tony Brown’s Journal, Black Journal was a weekly newsmagazine originating from WNET and airing nationally. The tone was a mixture of serious, educational, and irreverent– in news stories, interviews (2 Black Panthers in this episode alone), profiles, and skits. Watch now (1 hour).

The Polio Crusade, a one-hour documentary interweaves the personal accounts of polio survivors with the story of an ardent crusader who tirelessly fought on their behalf while scientists raced to eradicate this dreaded disease. Based in part on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Watch online now.

Petey Greene, one of the strongest characters to ever grace the small screen, is profiled in ‘Adjust Your Color’. See clips of his program and read more about Greene.