Highlights Archive

Specials on WXXI Classical (FM 91.5) Honoring Black History

Langston Hughes – I Too Sing America
Sunday, February 1 at 2 p.m.
Langston Hughes, an enduring icon of the Harlem Renaissance, is best known for his written work, which wedded his fierce dedication to social justice with his belief in the transformative power of the word. But he was a music lover, too, and some of the works he was most proud of were collaborations with composers and musicians.

Rhapsody in Black
Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m.
Join us as we amplify the voices of Black artists in the world of classical music, with host Vernon Neal.

Morehouse College Glee Club
Wednesday, February 11 at 3 p.m.
WXXI Classical presents a concert by the Morehouse College Glee Club, which was recorded in Rochester in March as part of their 2025 tour. A native of Rochester, NY, Dr. David Morrow has been Director of the Glee Club since 1987. The concert features a variety of sacred choral works, spirituals, and popular songs, culminating in the traditional Morehouse College Hymn.

Black Classical Masters series: “Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Monday, February 16 – Thursday, February at various times within the 8 a.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. hours
“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is known as the Black National Anthem or Hymn in the Black community. It arguably is the most revered song in the community. This four-part series, part of the larger Black Classical Masters series, documents the history of this song and explores its cultural and political impact. It features interviews with Yale University Professor Willie Ruff, NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, Fisk Jubilee Singers Director Paul Kwami, and gospel singer Kelli Williams, as well as music by Imani Winds, the Oakwood College Aeolians, the Harmonizing Four, and Kellie Williams. The Black Classical Masters series is an ongoing examination of Black history and culture that has not been relegated to one month out of the year. Black Classical Masters explores Black culture and history by focusing on contributions made to classical music by people of African descent. The 5-minute programs combine music and interviews with artists and experts in music, history, or culture.

Atlanta’s King Celebration Concert
Thursday, February 26 at 6 p.m.
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Chorus join with the Ebenezer Baptist Church Chorus and Band for an evening of reflection and celebration. Special guests include singer Gregory Porter, words from the Reverend Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, and works by composers Carlos Simon and Joel Thompson. Recorded live at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on January 4, 2025. Encore from 2025.

Specials on WXXI News (FM 105.9) honoring Black History

Witness: Black History Month
Sunday, February 8 at 9 p.m.
A new special hour-long edition of Witness History from the BBC World Service, bringing together some incredible stories about the Black experience. Told by people who were there, we hear stories that are fascinating, harrowing, and inspiring.

Selected Shorts: Celebrating James Baldwin
Sunday, February 15 at 9 p.m.
Guest host LeVar Burton presents a program celebrating the author he calls “potent and polemical.” Christopher Jackson reads an excerpt from Baldwin’s famous letter The Fire Next Time: in “My Dungeon Shook,” he addresses internalized racism. Next, Anthony Rapp performs an excerpt from Giovanni’s Room, in which an ex-pat comes to terms with his sexuality and loneliness in Paris. And Baldwin contemplates The Great Migration in his novel Go Tell It On The Mountain. We hear an excerpt performed by Charlayne Woodard. Encore from 2021.

Whispers in Wilmington
Sunday, February 22 at 9 p.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. That suppression involved racist mobs, as well as historians, city planners, journalists and countless others. They conspired for decades to make a Black community’s onetime prosperity and strength unimaginable. Almost unimaginable.

Super Drama Sunday • WXXI-TV

For those who don’t enjoy watching the big game, WXXI-TV offers a dramatic alternative – a marathon of Magpie Murders on Masterpiece, followed by the regular PBS Sunday night lineup.

Super Drama Sunday kicks off Sunday, February 8 at 1 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI app.

Binge all six episode of Magpie Murders, a beguiling mystery-within-a-mystery adapted from Anthony Horowitz’s bestselling book by the author himself. With a solution that will both astonish and shock viewers, the plot of Magpie Murders revolves around the character Susan Ryeland, an editor who is given an unfinished manuscript of author Alan Conway’s latest novel, with little idea of how it will change her life. Magpie Murders stars Lesley Manville (World on Fire, Phantom Thread, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris) as editor turned amateur sleuth Susan Ryeland and Tim McMullan (Patrick Melrose, Foyle’s War) as world-famous fictional detective Atticus Pünd.

Our Magpie Murders Marathon will be followed by new episodes of RFDS: Royal Flying Doctor Service (7p.m.), Miss Scarlet on Masterpiece “The Night Shift” (8 p.m.) All Creatures Great & Small on Masterpiece “Fixes” (9 p.m.), and Bookish “Such Devoted Sisters, Pt. 1.”

Photo: Lesley Manville as Susan Ryeland in Magpie Murders.

My Music with Rhiannon Giddens • WXXI-TV

Celebrates America’s rich and varied musical traditions and their modern offshoots through engaging performances and conversations.

My Music with Rhiannon Giddens airs Saturdays, February 7 – March 21 at 11:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.

Grammy winner and MacArthur “Genius Grant” recipient Rhiannon Giddens hosts a new half-hour series of musical performance and conversation with outstanding guest artists—innovative and accomplished musicians and storytellers who have forged unconventional paths to find their voices.

Episode one “Old Friends” 2/7: Rhiannon Giddens visits with three lifelong friends — Justin Robinson, co-founder of Carolina Chocolate Drops, her sister Lalenja Harrington and singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett.

Episode two “Allison Russell” 2/14: Canadian singer-songwriter and activist Allison Russell.

Episode three “Rissi Palmer” 2/21: Songs and stories from country music artist Rissi Palmer.

Episode four “Charly Lowry” 2/28: A visit with singer-songwriter Charly Lowry at her tribal homeland of Robeson County, North Carolina, where she explains how her Native American roots and experiences inform her music.

Episode five “Adia Victoria” 3/7: Indie artist Adia Victoria talks about her strict religious upbringing and self-discovery through the blues.

Episode six “Joy Clark” 3/14: Lyrical guitarist Joy Clark, a rising singer-songwriter on the Americana music scene.

Episode seven “My Music Lately” 3/21: Rhiannon Giddens talks with her partner and musical collaborator, Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, about their musical affinities and vision of musical heritage that crosses borders.

NOVA “Can Dogs Talk?” • WXXI-TV

Do speech buttons really allow dogs to talk to us? Scientists investigate.

NOVA “Can Dogs Talk?” airs Tuesday, February 4 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.

Imagine a world where your furry best friend could tell you exactly what they’re thinking. A growing number of dog owners claim this is already happening, thanks to innovative word buttons that seem to unlock a new realm of canine communication. But are these dogs truly understanding what we’re saying — and talking back? Are they really thinking creatively, applying words in new contexts? Or is this just clever conditioning? To find out, scientists are conducting the largest animal communication study in history, analyzing millions of button presses from thousands of dogs worldwide. Witness astonishing moments that challenge our assumptions about animal intelligence, from dogs that seemingly engage in conversations to those who learn new words with incredible speed. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about the minds of dogs and discover just how far their linguistic abilities might stretch.

Independent Lens “The Inquisitor” • WXXI-TV

Meet Barbara Jordan: a civil rights icon whose powerful voice masked a complex private life.

Independent Lens “The Inquisitor” airs Monday, February 23 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.

Explore the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan in The Inquisitor. Jordan was a groundbreaking Texas congresswoman whose sharp intellect and moral clarity transformed U.S. politics. From Nixon’s impeachment to civil rights battles, her voice demanded accountability, while she privately faced struggles few ever knew of.

Public screening: Join WXXI for a special FREE 1-hour preview screening of The Inquisitor at The Little Theatre on Monday, February 16 at 6:30 p.m. The preview screening will be followed by a moderated panel discussion. Registration is required.

American Masters “Sun Ra: Do the Impossible” • WXXI-TV

American Masters dives into the groundbreaking work of the visionary jazz musician and Godfather of Afrofuturism.

“Sun Ra: Do The Impossible” premieres Friday, February 20 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.

From swing to bebop to free jazz, Sun Ra bridged myriad musical styles to form his own avant-garde sound. With his ever-evolving collective, the Sun Ra Arkestra, he stretched the boundaries of jazz and self-produced more than 200 albums, in addition to being one of the first Black artists to have his own record label. Remembered today as the “Godfather of Afrofuturism,” Sun Ra weaved ancient Egyptian and interstellar metaphors into a definitive musical and spiritual vision that resonates across generations. Discover the extraordinary life of this poet, philosopher, and musical visionary in American Masters “Sun Ra: Do The Impossible.”

Featuring archival footage and stills, performance clips, and original interviews, “Sun Ra: Do The Impossible” is a kaleidoscopic view of the artist’s legacy, from his early days growing up in Alabama to his musical journey around the country through cities such as Chicago, New York, Berkeley, and Philadelphia as bandleader of the Sun Ra Arkestra. Interviews with notable Arkestra members, including Marshall Allen, Ahmed Abdullah, Cheryl Banks-Smith, and Michael Ray, provide profound insight into his artistry, while conversations with scholars and music experts like Fred Moten, King Britt, Harmony Holiday, Fred Moten, and Thomas Stanley highlight Sun Ra’s influence on today’s music.

Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me • WXXI-TV

Explore the life of an R&B and soul superstar.

Teddy Pendergrass: If You Don’t Know Me airs Monday, February 16 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.

This is the story of legendary singer Teddy Pendergrass, the man who would have been the biggest R&B artist of all time. It’s a story of a childhood in a Philadelphia ghetto; of the scandalous deaths of his father and first manager; of sex, drugs, money and global fame; of the triumph against injustice; and of the tragic accident that changed his life forever, at the age of only 31.

Despite poverty, racism, and violence, Pendergrass managed to become one of the first African American artists to go multi-platinum repeatedly. He was a man who actively championed the rights of Black artists when discrimination was rife, and a man who, in the years after becoming quadriplegic, overcame depression and thoughts of suicide and resumed doing what he loved best — making music. He left a priceless legacy after his death with the music he made and the people he touched.

Photo: Teddy portrait. Credit: Neal Preston