WLRN continues to celebrate Black History Month with new programs that unite more than a century of history and culture.
The Black Kung Fu Experience (8:00 pm)
This one-hour program introduces kung fu's African-American pioneers; men who challenged convention and overturned preconceived notions while mastering the ancient art. The four martial artists profiled include Ron Van Clief, an ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran who starred in more than 40 kung fu films and earned the nickname "Black Dragon" from Bruce Lee. Their compelling stories illustrate how kung fu remains a unique crucible of the black experience. In particular, kung fu's themes of the underdog triumphing against the odds resonated in black communities across the United States.
African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, Making A Way Out of No way (9:00 pm)
During the Jim Crow era, African Americans struggled to build their own worlds within the harsh, narrow confines of segregation. At the turn of the 20th century, a steady stream of African Americans migrated away from the South, fleeing racial violence and searching for better opportunities in the North and the West in what’s known as the Great Migration. At the same time, there was an ascendance of black arts and culture, such as The Harlem Renaissance.
Reagan Presidency, Part 3
This three-part series focuses on the critical domestic and foreign policy decisions President Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) made during his two terms in office. This complex, thoroughly researched portrait of the nation's 40th president covers the Iran-Contra affair, the end of the Cold War, runaway inflation and rising employment, the air traffic controller strike of 1981, the Lebanese Civil War and the invasion of Granada, among other topics. THE REAGAN PRESIDENCY supplements extensive archival video with interviews from insiders and historians to tell a fresh story about this eight-year chapter in American history. Notable Reagan staffers, foreign leaders, members of Congress, scholars, journalists and presidential biographers representing a variety of political perspectives and opinions discuss the legacy of Reagan's successes and failures.
