Maryland Public Television is presenting, for the second year, a week of programming dedicated to historically Black colleges and universities.
MPT’s 2nd Annual HBCU Week, running from Sept. 6-12, will deliver more than 15 hours of broadcast and livestream content about the past, present and future of HBCUs in the United States.
Travis E. Mitchell, MPT’s senior vice president and chief content officer, as well as a Morgan State University graduate, said in a statement that HBCU Week will be an opportunity for MPT “to tell the stories of these truly inspirational, important, and uniquely American institutions.”
“HBCUs in our region and beyond are responsible for training, developing, and preparing leaders who contribute to every sector of industry,” Mitchell said.
MPT news anchor Jeff Salkin and Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Whitehead, host of “Today with Dr. Kaye” on WEAA-FM, will kick off the week of programs with an in-depth look at the current state of HBCUs in a one-hour special from 7-8 p.m. Sept. 6.
The special will feature interviews with the region’s six HBCU presidents, including a discussion about Maryland’s recent $577 million settlement in a lawsuit related to the state’s history of discrimination against its four HBCUs.
The program will also look at the arrival of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Basketball Tournament in Baltimore, highlighting that the CIAA mostly comprises HBCUs.
Following that special, MPT will broadcast the film Shaw Rising from 8-9 p.m. about Shaw University, one of the country’s oldest HBCUs.
Then, from 9-11 p.m., MPT will broadcast the American Experience documentary about more than 400 Black and white Americans who traveled together on buses and trains through southern states that had refused to desegregate public buses.
There will be a program from 8-9 p.m. Sept. 7 about the nation’s first men’s lacrosse team at an HBCU, Morgan State University.
On Sept. 9, MPT’s Tony Hill and Donald Thomas will co-host more than three hours of musical programming, starting with a behind-the-scenes look at Afro Blue, Howard University’s vocal jazz ensemble, from 8-8:30 p.m.; followed by a concert featuring Morgan State University’s choir from 8:30-10:30 p.m.; and culminating with a program from 10:30-11:30 p.m. about a group of former slaves who used their musical talents to raise money and awareness for their alma mater, Fisk University, an HBCU in Tennessee, all while battling prejudice and oppression.
In a program from 7-7:30 p.m. Sept. 10, MPT’s State Circle reporters interview Lt. Gov. Boyd K. Rutherford and other Maryland officials who are HBCU graduates about how their experiences at an HBCU shaped their career development.
On Sept. 11, from 12:30-2:20 p.m., MPT will broadcast the documentary “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities” from award-winning filmmakers Stanley Nelson and Marco Williams about the impact of HBCUs over the past 150 years.
MPT will then rebroadcast the Afro Blue program from 2:30-3 p.m. and the Morgan choir program from 3-5 p.m.
MPT will also offer two interactive events on Sept. 8 and 12.
At 7 p.m. Sept. 8, MPT is partnering with HBCUDigest.com to present a panel discussion about the importance of HBCUs in politics, economics, culture and industry. The event will be streamed on MPT’s OVEE virtual screening platform, Facebook page, YouTube page, and the HBCU Sirius XM Channel.
On Sept. 12 at 3 p.m., MPT and Bowie State University will co-host a preview of the new PBS documentary Muhammad Ali. Following a preview of a portion of the film, attendees will hear from panelists from Bowie State University. To register, visit https://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/mdxi5.
MPT held its first HBCU Week programs in 2020 “to stimulate thoughtful discussion and increase understanding of race-related issues in communities across Maryland,” the network’s officials said.
