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WXXI celebrates the accomplishments and contributions of women with documentaries and stories that spotlight women’s experiences in history. Below are a few highlights, but for a full curated list of programming, click the button below.
Meet the indomitable Dolores Huerta, who led the fight for racial and labor justice.
Independent Lens “Dolores” available on PBS Passport.
With intimate and unprecedented access, Peter Bratt’s Dolores tells the story of Dolores Huerta, among the most important, yet least-known, activists in American history. Co-founder of the first farmworkers union with Cesar Chavez, she tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the 20th century.
Each week throughout the month, WXXI’s health, equity and community reporter and producer Racquel Stephen introduces you to women in the Rochester area who are making a difference in our community.
Below are links to her features, or visit WXXINews.org to read them.
She tried to run from it, but leading a school was her destiny
Woman who migrated to Rochester helps refugee community access mental health resources
This public media-powered career exploration project introduces Gen-Z to in-demand careers and career pathways to enter those fields. They hear from experts, apprentices, young people in training and newly employed people in fields where there are job opportunities. A ROC Jobs Explained Advisory Board includes WXXI station staff, BOCES, Workforce Development Programs, experts in environment, manufacturing, construction, apprenticeships, economics and policy to assist the project in making connections for local youth directly to education, training, and job opportunities in their communities. ROC Jobs Explained serves to both inspire and and showcase practical resources for exploring and achieving fulfilling careers.
The national Jobs Explained initiative has a goal to connect directly with teens and young adults to give information about in-demand careers and career pathways via social media videos. With support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The WNET Group, New York City’s public media station, Jobs Explained has selected ten public media stations from across the country, through a competitive grant process, to produce a critical mass of short-form vertical videos on popular social media platforms, spotlighting in-demand careers in over 10 sectors. WXXI Education has secured multi-year funding for career exploration initiatives since 2011 through American Graduate, which has now become Jobs Explained.
WXXI is proud to be one of the stations selected to participate in this 2-year initiative through 2027, with a focus on jobs in the green sector & sustainability, construction, and manufacturing. Danielle Fuller is WXXI’s Jobs Explained Video Specialist. An NYU film and TV grad, filmmaker, artists, writer, life long athlete, she is the talent behind all the videos for this project. Follow her @ROCjobs_explained on Instagram and TikTok.
Job Explained is part of the American Graduate initiative. During the past 15 years, WXXI Education has secured 3 multi-year grants to focus on career exploration, working with regional partners to advance education and career readiness. By building awareness of career pathways to attain “good jobs.” WXXI has produced over 40 local content videos focused in-demand career sectors that require training beyond high school but less than a four-year degree to get started in the field. Many of these careers have alternative pathways including getting professional certificates in a job skill, apprenticeship, career and technical education while still in high school, community college and on-the-job training or additional training at local university paid for by the employer. The new ROC Jobs Explained are now reaching Gen-Z directly through social media with 150 new video shorts.
Go behind the scenes with Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, David Schmidt and their team to learn about the production, which took nearly a decade to complete.
The Making of “The American Revolution” airs Saturday, March 21 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
The program includes clips from the series and visits stops on the film’s cross-country tour. It also provides an exclusive look at the composers, cinematographers, editors, researchers and more who came together to make the landmark series. Repeats Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
WXXI President & CEO Chris Hastings hosted a Community Town Hall on Thursday, March 12. He shared his vision for the future and talked with Julio Sáenz, WXXI’s Chief Content Officer, Cara Rager, MS. Ed., Director of Early Learning, and Evan Dawson, host of “Connections” about our commitment to serving this region. He also took questions from the community.
Join WXXI & Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County for an Indie Lens Pop-up FREE screening of THE LIBRARIANS, a film by by Kim A. Snyder (director/producer), Janique L. Robillard (producer), Maria Cuomo Cole (producer), and Jana Edelbaum (producer). The film focuses librarians across the U.S. examining how book review policies are shaping their communities.
The film explores a case of Texas lawmakers seeking to review a list of books and librarians finding themselves on the frontlines of a national battle. Across the U.S., librarians face the impact of uniting against library collection standards that include restrictions on race-related and LGBTQIA+ content. Drawing on historical context, THE LIBRARIANS explores the broader implications for education and public life.
The event is free but registration is required.
Indie Lens Pop-Up presents this free screening:
Friday, April 24 from 1-3pm
The Kate Gleason Auditorium of the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County
115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY
Parking Information for Central Library
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion.
ASL interpretation will be provided for opening remarks and post-screening panel discussion. This film is presented with open captions. For more information on parking and accessibility, please visit https://thelittle.org/accessibility/. Additional accommodations may be requested during the registration process. Please contact Sarah Murphy Abbamonte, Project Manager for Move to Include, at sabbamonte@wxxi.org with any questions.
Film Webpage:THE LIBRARIANS is available to watch on-demand through 5/9/2026 for free on the PBS Player and PBS App.
Photo Credit: Courtesy of 8 Above & THE LIBRARIANS documentary, DP Amy Bench
Caption: Suzette looking into her locked office after being terminated for refusing to pull books from the shelves (2022)
Our Sponsors
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This program is made possible by a grant from ITVS for Indie Lens Pop-up and in partnership with WXXI and Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County and the Monroe County Library System.
Join WXXI and Monroe Community College (MCC) for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle, at the MCC Downtown Campus on Wednesday, April 8. This engaging evening will bring community members together to reflect, connect, and explore the film’s themes in a welcoming space.
Event program: Doors will open at 6 p.m. The screening of the film, Make a Circle, will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be followed by a panel discussion at 7:30 p.m. The panel will feature local early childhood professionals including: Ann Marie Stephan (Executive Director of Rochester ChildFirst Network), Tiffany Howard (Early Childhood Professional at Friendship Children’s Center), and Crystal Campo (Family Child Care Provider). And, the panel will be moderated by WXXI News Reporter, Noelle Evans. The evening will also include a community resource fair with local, regional, and New York State early learning partners. Light refreshments will be provided.
Family-Friendly: To help make this experience more accessible for adults with young children, a family-friendly viewing space will be available. Adults will need to stay with their children at all times.
Please register using the form below. All registered participants will receive a follow-up email with confirmation and additional event details.
The screening and discussion are free and open to the public but registration is required.
Join WXXI and Monroe Community College for a special screening and community conversation around the film, Make a Circle. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Please use the form below to register. Questions? Contact Rachel Rosner at RRosner@wxxi.org
About the Film
From an award-winning filmmaking team, Make a Circle follows a group of child care providers who are determined to change how society values the education of its youngest citizens. With a mix of humor, outrage, and passion, Make a Circle captures the unfolding stories of Patricia, a leader of a new union for child care providers, as she fights on behalf of a largely immigrant workforce; Charlotte, another union member who tirelessly lifts up the low-income families in her care; and Anne, the director of a large preschool, who finds novel ways to value and support her teachers when jobs at Starbucks are offering higher pay. Within their stories are interludes that offer a cinematic glimpse into the unique, imaginative world of the young children in their care. The film culminates as thousands of child care union members march on their state capitol demanding better working conditions, just as their contract is set to expire. Weaving together the magic they create in the classroom, the struggles they endure at home, and their unwavering activism for their profession, Make a Circle is a moving portrait of life as an early childhood educator and a promising blueprint for fixing our broken child care system.