February marks Black History Month, a tradition that was officially recognized in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations. It aims to celebrate the contributions that African Americans have made and to recognize their sacrifices.
NHPR is honored to commemorate Black History Month with special programming reflecting on the African American experience. Tune in this February, Saturdays at 7:00 a.m.
Whispering Wilmington - Feb. 1 at 7:00 a.m.
We’re used to recognizing someone powerful with a statue. But what happens when there’s no statue or memorial to a traumatic event? Whoever lives with the impact of that painful history has to confront the kind of power it takes to keep it hidden for so long. In this episode, we uncover the story of the only successful coup d’etat ever to happen on American soil. This act of racial violence was designed to eliminate all memory of a highly successful Black community in Wilmington, North Carolina back in 1898.
Witness History: Black History Month - Feb. 8 at 7 a.m.
A special hour-long edition of Witness History from the BBC World Service, bringing together some incredible interviews looking at the African-American experience. Told by people who were there, we hear stories that are fascinating, harrowing, and inspiring.
The Lost Cause: The Civil War, Then and Now - Feb. 15 at 7 a.m.
Are we still living with the racial divide left over from the Civil War? Fully updated for 2025, this provocative audio documentary explores the history of a conflict that nearly tore America apart. Has it resurfaced today in the anti-immigrant sentiment expressed in the 2024 election and the pushback against DEI and a more inclusive telling of American history?
Say it Loud: Great Speeches on Civil Rights and African American Identity - Feb. 22 at 7 a.m.
"Say It Loud" traces the last 50 years of black history through stirring, historically important speeches by African Americans from across the political spectrum. With recordings unearthed from libraries and sound archives, and made widely available here for the first time, "Say It Loud" includes landmark speeches by Malcolm X, Lorraine Hansberry, Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Henry Louis Gates, and many others.