Independent Lens Honors Black History at TCA

At this year's Television Critics Association, Independent Lens announced three new films that examine the history of African American activism and produced a panel including legendary activist Angela Davis and artist Talib Kweli. Watch the video below to see some of the icons and artists who joined Independent Lens in recognizing African American history at this year’s TCA Press Tour in Los Angeles.

Independent Lens begins its celebration of Black History Month on PBS with Daisy Bates: First Lady of Little Rock, which premiers on February 2. The film follows the seven-year journey of filmmaker Sharon La Cruise to learn about the mostly forgotten civil rights activist Daisy Bates.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 airs the following week on February 9. Directed by Göran Hugo Olsson, the film weaves together footage shot by Swedish television journalists, chronicling the black power movement of the 1960s. Featuring iconic leaders Stokely Carmichael, Angela Davis, and Eldridge Cleaver — the film provides a fascinating look at the people, society, culture, and style that fueled an era of convulsive change.

Finally, More Than a Month will premiere on PBS on February 16. The film follows African American director Shukree Hassan Tilghman on a cross-country journey to end Black History Month as he explores what the treatment of history tells us about race and power in “post-racial” America.

This year at Press Tour, Independent Lens teamed up with PBS NewsHour's Hari Sreenivasan, who interviewed nearly a dozen filmmakers and subjects on the films honoring black history. Keep an eye on BTB and NewsHour to watch those conversations in their entirety.