BLACK HISTORY MONTH
BLOCK PARTY 2025

PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR: BEYOND THE MASK
Saturday, February 1 at 8:00 pm
“Paul Laurence Dunbar: Beyond the Mask” is a documentary about the life and legacy of the first African American poet to earn national fame.


AWADAGIN PRATT: BLACK IN AMERICA
Monday, February 3 at 10:30 pm
Awadagin Pratt: Black in America confronts issues of privilege and racism in America and tells a personal account of an all-too-common experience for many people of color in America and worldwide.

GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | Streets Paved with Gold
Tuesday, February 4 at 9:00 pm
Episode 2 of Great Migrations explores the second wave of the Great Migration (1940-1970) within the context of World War II and its aftermath.


AMERICAN JUSTICE ON TRIAL: PEOPLE V. NEWTON
Saturday, February 8 at 8:00 pm
Black Panthers co-founder Huey Newton is accused of murdering a white policeman after a car stop in 1967 Oakland. A landmark trial ensues and Newton’s defense team calls out racism in the judicial system. With a death penalty looming, a shocking verdict is delivered that still reverberates today


THE BLACK FIRE DOCUMENTARY
Saturday, February 8 at 9:00 pm
Washington, DC’s music and cultural heritage by highlighting the music, message, and art of the people behind Black Fire Records a Black-owned independent jazz record label started in Chocolate City, aka the nation’s capital in the 1970s.


Dr. Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius
Monday, February 10 at 10:30 pm
Dr. Eddie Henderson: Uncommon Genius tells the remarkable life story of renowned African American jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player Eddie Henderson.  Eddie’s curiosity and need for exploration led him down many career paths, including figure skating and medicine and music.


GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | Coming to America
Tuesday, February 11 at 9:00 pm
Explore how the reverse migration of Black Americans to the South-driven by mass movements, economic change, and an ongoing struggle for freedom-continued to reshape the country.

 

 


CHAUTAUQUA AT 150: WYNTON MARSALIS’ ALL RISE
Tuesday, February 11, 10:00 pm
Celebrate the story and lasting impact of this iconic institution through inspiring stories of faith and democracy with a stirring performance of Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise and appearances by Kathryn Hahn, Kwame Alexander, Misty Copeland and others.


10 DAYS IN WATTS” Legacy
Thursday, February 13, 9:30 pm
MudTown Farms, an urban garden twelve years in the making, is ten days from opening in the Los Angeles community of Watts. Tim Watkins, President of the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC), shares his vision of a family’s dedication to their beloved community.


George H. White: Searching for Freedom
Monday, February 17, 10:30 pm
Explore the enduring legacy of one of the most significant African American leaders of the Reconstruction Era. Born in 1852 in Eastern North Carolina to a family of turpentine farmers, White rose through the ranks of state politics to serve in the 55th US Congress from 1887 to 1901 as its sole Black voice.


GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE | One-Way Ticket Back
Tuesday, February 18, 9:00 pm
Hear the story of African and Caribbean immigrants in the United States and examine their profound impact on American culture and what it means to be Black in America.

 

 

 


AMERICAN MASTERS: The Disappearance of Miss Scott
Friday, February 21, 8:00 pm
This film tells the story of Hazel Scott, a piano prodigy, jazz musician and leader of a Hollywood actors’ strike. She was caught up in the Red Scare of the 1950s and refused to back down, testifying in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee to defend herself and her colleagues, and was blacklisted as a result.


AMERICAN MASTERS: Roberta Flack
Friday, February 21, 9:30 pm
American Masters: Roberta Flack follows the music icon from a piano lounge through her rise to stardom. From “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to “Killing Me Softly,” Flack’s virtuosity was inseparable from her commitment to civil rights.

 


AMERICAN EXPERIENCE – Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP
Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 pm
Learn the story of Walter White, the NAACP’s longtime leader and one of the most influential but least known figures in civil rights history. Under his leadership, the NAACP paved the way for Black power at the ballot box and scored important legal victories.