The battles for African American women fought 100 years ago for a constitutional right and against segregationist and discriminatory Jim Crow laws in the South echo today as American women continue to work against voter suppression and for full access to the polls. During the 19th and 20th centuries, Black women played an active role in the struggle for universal suffrage. They participated in political meetings and organized political societies, amd attended political conventions at their local churches where they planned strategies to gain the right to vote. In the late 1800s, more Black women worked for churches, newspapers, secondary schools, and colleges, which gave them a larger platform to promote their ideas. But in spite of their hard work, many people didn't listen to them. Black men and White women usually led civil rights organizations and set the agenda and often excluded Black women from their organizations and activities. Though Black women are less well remembered, they played an important role in getting the Fifteenth and Nineteenth Amendments passed.

Segregation in the United States is the racial segregation of facilities, services, and opportunities such as housing, medical care, education, employment, and transportation along racial lines. After the Civil War, millions of formerly enslaved African Americans hoped to join the larger society as full and equal citizens. Although some White Americans welcomed them, others used people's ignorance, racism, and self-interest to sustain and spread racial divisions. By 1900, new laws and old customs in the North and the South had created a segregated society that condemned Americans of color to second-class citizenship. Much of segregation, whether in schools or neighborhoods, traces back to a history of discriminatory policies. Today an African-American's income on average is about 60 percent of an average white income. African-American wealth is about 5 percent of white wealth. Disparities between White Americans and those of color continue with new laws of voter suppression, lack of school funding and access to education and prosperity.

 

55 years after the untimely passing of Martin Luther King Jr. his prophetic words, "I have a dream" are still alive and remain in the hearts and minds of people everywhere. In this episode of the Black American Experience series, we explore the lives of African Americans who have themselves altered the course of American politics, education, justice, broadcasting and the arts based on MLK's dream of a just society. His message of peace and nonviolence is personified as we examine many of the issues facing America today; Black Lives Matter, Voting Rights, Inequality and Education. Martin Luther King Jr. inspired countless individuals, groups and movements for the purpose of achieving a better life and an equal share of the American Dream.  

 

Extraordinary Black Women examines amazing black women that shaped America and made it what it is today. Highlighting their accomplishments, dedication and achievements, this program focuses on their place in American history, what their lives were like, what they did and what they endured.  Their common thread of determination, courage and commitment is consistent as a universal theme in all their lives. Extraordinary Black Women portrays some of the stories of these women that have made historic impacts in our nation and Worldwide 

 

Extraordinary Black Men depicts the life and careers of trailblazing men, from the worlds of politics, arts, music, literature, sports and sciences. Highlighting their accomplishments, dedication and achievements, this program focuses on their place in American history, what their lives were like, what they accomplished and the obstacles they faced. Their common thread of determination, courage and commitment is consistent as a universal theme in each of their lives. This provocative documentary shines the spotlight on their extraordinary journeys which have made historic impacts in our Nation and Worldwide. Featuring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Barack Obama, Muhammad Ali, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Du Bois, Jackie Robinson, Langston Hughes, Thurgood Marshall, Malcom X, Congressman John Lewis, Booker T. Washington, Jesse Owens, Arther Ashe and Michael Jordan.

 

In this new episode of the Black American Experience series, Extraordinary Black Broadcasters and Journalists depicts the lives and careers of these trailblazing men and women who lead the world in Global Communication. This documentary examines the extraordinary journeys of black men and women in the field of Broadcast Media and Journalism and how they used their talents to educate, entertain and to communicate to millions of audiences throughout the world. Highlighting their accomplishments and achievements, this program focuses on their place in history, what their lives were like, what they accomplished and the obstacles they faced. Their common thread of determination, courage and commitment is consistent as a universal theme in each of their lives. Featuring Bernard Shaw, Oprah Winfrey, Bryant Gumbel, Stephen A. Smith, Kenny Smith, Harris Falkner, Hoda Kotb, Whoopi Goldberg, Lester Holt, Ida Wells, Victor Hugo Green and many others.

 

The Harlem Renaissance was the development of the Harlem neighborhood in New York City as a Black cultural mecca in the early 20th Century and the subsequent social and artistic explosion that resulted. Lasting roughly from the 1910s through the mid-1930s, the period is considered a golden age in African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance and art. The Harlem Renaissance gave African American's a chance to live their dreams.

 

In the pioneer days of space exploration, African American women took on the role of "Human Computers". These "Human Computers" measured the complicated equations by hand, designing complex mathematical and integrated calculations that enabled America to champion the success of USA's Space Program introduced by President John F. Kennedy. The African American women "Computers" provided a critical role in advancing NASA and its mandate. Margot Lee Shetterly. Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Dorothy Vaughan were especially prominent during this period in history and with their tenacity and wisdom helped one of the first American astronauts, John Glenn, orbit Earth in 1962 and ensured the safe return of the spacecraft and its astronaut. This episode includes their stories along with many other African-American women dedicated to space exploration as military pilots, engineers, scientists and physicians. These women have made American history with contributions that include participating in space shuttle missions to perform critical tasks such as deploying and retrieving satellites, performing spacewalks, conducting science and technology research and designing and implementing rocket propulsion vessels for the robotic exploration of space. Featuring: Margot Lee Shetterly, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Jeanette Jo Epps, Jessica Watkins, Stephanie D. Wilson, Mae C. Jemison and Yvonne Carroll.

 

This documentary tells the personal stories of current and former Black Astronauts, of their journey to achieve the impossible with their tenacity and courage and overcoming barriers to allow others to follow. From the heartbreaking story of Ed Dwight, first African American to be considered by NASA only later to be rejected, to Guion "Guy" Bluford becoming the First African American Astronaut to fly into space. Learn about these decorated heroes and find out about their commitment and fortitude and overcoming obstacles to lead the way for African Americans in Space Exploration. These men have made American history with contributions that include participating in space shuttle missions to perform critical tasks such as deploying and retrieving satellites, performing spacewalks, conducting science and technology research and designing and implementing rocket propulsion vessels for the robotic exploration of space. Featuring: Charles Frank Bolden, Colonel Guion S. Bluford, Jr., Robert H. Goddard, Captain Edward Dwight Jr., Major General Charles Bolden, Captain Winston E. Scott, Major Robert Lawrence Jr., Alvin Drew NASA Astronaut, Bernard A. Harris NASA Astronaut, Captain Robert Curbeam, Leland Melvin NFL Player - NASA Astronaut, Frank Robinson NASA Engineer and Victor Glover - Artemis Astronaut.

 

The Black Church has played a significant role in the history, politics and culture of African Americans. It has been a source of strength, hope, and resistance against oppression. The Black Church has been instrumental in shaping the African-American community and has been a driving force behind social change. It has provided a platform for political activism and has been a catalyst for the civil rights movement. It also offered a gathering place for not only worship, but to share wisdom, joys and sorrows. Through song and prayers, a culture developed among its members, a unity of brotherhood and a place of refuge. The Black Church has also been an incubator of talent and has contributed to the cultural fabric of America. In this episode, we explore how these generations created the charm of Black Culture in America.

 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are academic institutions, both public and private, that were established prior to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the United States. Since their inception, HBCUs have offered African Americans access to education that was once withheld from them during periods of slavery and segregation. These institutions have also fostered some of this nation's most influential leaders, innovators, visionaries, and activists. Notable HBCU alumni include Martin Luther King Jr., Thurgood Marshall, and Kamala Harris. Although HBCUs are no longer the exclusive avenue for higher education among people of African descent due to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, black students still attend them in increasing numbers. This trend is not surprising since these universities remain a sanctuary for students who wish to explore their cultural heritage while excelling academically without fear of discrimination.

 

The Great Depression caused financial struggles and high unemployment for African Americans. The New Deal aimed to provide relief, but racial segregation persisted. Jim Crow laws perpetuate discrimination. Despite these challenges, strides were made towards civil rights and equality with the formation of the NAACP in 1909, which advocated for equal treatment under the law for all Americans regardless of race or ethnicity. In the 1930's after years of tension with white labor unions, the NAACP cooperated with the newly formed Congress of Industrial Organizations in an effort to win jobs for black Americans. Eleanor Roosevelt, met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt to outlaw job discrimination in the armed forces, defense industries, and the agencies created by the New Deal. By the 1950s the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, headed by Thurgood Marshall; later the first African American to serve in the Supreme Court, secured these goals through Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which outlawed segregation in public schools. NAACP's Washington, D.C., bureau, led by lobbyist Clarence M. Mitchell Jr., helped advance not only integration of the armed forces in 1948 Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1964, and 1968 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Led by Dr. Martin Luther KIng, Ida B. Wells, W.E.B. Du Bois and scores of others, the NAACP defined courage for the black community with leadership, organization and opportunity for its members and the American people.

 

Civil rights activist Rosa Parks, was born a granddaughter to former slaves, on February 4, 1913, in Tuskegee, Alabama. Her refusal to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus in December of 1955, spurred a city-wide boycott and unleashed nationwide efforts to end segregation of public facilities. Her brave and unwavering determination proved monumental. Rosa was prepared to sacrifice everything, making her the role model of Racial Injustice and The First Lady of the Civil Rights Movement. Parks' act of defiance and the Montgomery Bus Boycott became the catalyst that helped launch important symbols of the modern Civil Rights Movement. It inspired all freedom loving people to join together against oppressive laws and governments, racial discrimination and hatred. She became an international icon of resistance to racial segregation. Her determination and perseverance became a focal point with civil rights leaders, including Edgar Nixon, president of the local chapter of the NAACP; and Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights Act - legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Rosa Parks received many accolades during her lifetime, including the NAACP's highest award the Spingarn Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom the Congressional Gold Medal. Rosa died in 1977 and was chosen as the first woman ever to lie in honor at the Capitol Rotunda.

 

An American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist, Langston Hughes was first recognized as an important literary figure during the 1920s, a period known as the "Harlem Renaissance," a cultural movement made famous because of the number of emerging black writers, poets and scholars. Hughes, more than any other black poet or writer, recorded faithfully the nuances of black life and its frustrations and was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form called jazz poetry. Embracing the common experience of black Americans, he was the bard of his people because he felt their joys and suffering himself. Hughes lived in several US cities, then traveled abroad extensively, first as a seaman, later as a war correspondent. Renowned for his folksy humor, his work was well received by a black audience who saw themselves in his characters. In 1934 Hughes first short story collection The Ways of White Folks, was published. It looked at the humorous and tragic interactions between races, but was tinged with pessimism. He went on to write countless works of poetry, prose and plays and had a popular column for the Chicago Defender. Hughes was a literary giant, always faithful to his belief that "most people are generally good, in every race and in every country where I have been." In 1960, the NAACP awarded Hughes the Spingarn Medal for distinguished achievement by a black American, calling him the "poet laureate of the Negro race."

 

How does an inner city African American kid with a self-proclaimed violent temper, become a world renowned brain surgeon, an inspiring role model for disadvantaged youth, a medical innovator and achieve success... against all odds? In 2001, CNN and Time Magazine named Ben Carson one of the nation's 20 foremost physicians and scientists. His mother was his most influential inspiration, changing Ben from worst to first. He gained respect as he soared to the top of his class. He applied himself, stayed focused on achievement, studied hard and graduated from Yale with a degree in psychology; where he met his future wife, mother of his children and life partner, Candy. Carson earned his M.D. at the University of Michigan Medical School and later at the age of 33, was appointed the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, the youngest person ever to hold that position. He was the first brain surgeon to successfully separate twins conjoined at the back of the head. Ben Carson has been granted 67 honorary doctorate degrees and the United States' highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His beliefs are integral to his achievements. Ben Carson's story is an amazing inspiration. It will continue, not only because of what he has achieved, but because his final chapters are yet to be written.