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Corky Lee’s epic quest to document Asian American history, culture, and activism. (55m 5s)
Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story airs Monday, May 25 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Using his camera as a “weapon against injustice,” Chinese American photographer Corky Lee’s art is his activism. His unforgettable images of Asian American life empowered generations. This film’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens.
Jamie Chung, Cyndi Lauper, and Danny Trejo uncover the stories of their immigrant ancestors.
Finding Your Roots “Far From Home” airs Sunday, May 17 at 11:30 a.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. maps the family trees of pop icon Cyndi Lauper and actors Jamie Chung and Danny Trejo, exploring records in Italy, Korea, and Mexico to uncover ancestors whose stories were lost when their families immigrated to America.
Rhiannon and Japanese percussionist Haruka Fujii perform and chat.
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens “Haruka Fujii” airs Saturday, May 25 at 11:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Japanese percussionist Haruka Fujii talks with Rhiannon about the surprising history of the marimba in Japan and her own mission to spread the beauty of Japanese music to diverse audiences. They discuss Silkroad’s “American Railroad” project, and the episode ends with a performance of Fujii’s original composition “Tamping Song.”
A filmmaker honors his father’s legacy of art, activism, and resilience across generations.
Independent Lens “Third Act” airs Monday, May 25 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
Generations call Robert A. Nakamura the godfather of Asian American film. Tadashi Nakamura calls him Dad. Tadashi turns the camera on his father as they confront art, activism, and aging. From WWII incarceration to cultural awakening and a Parkinson’s diagnosis, Third Act is a tender portrait of legacy, inherited trauma, and the final chapter of a shared creative life.
A filmmaker confronts her Chinese family’s trauma and questions whether the cycle can end.
Independent Lens “Light of the Setting Sun” airs Monday, May 18 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the PBS and WXXI apps.
A Chinese family’s multigenerational trauma unfolds across time, place, and identity. Turning the camera inward, filmmaker Vicky Du traces her family’s mental illness back to the Chinese Communist Revolution of 1949. Spanning Taipei, Taiwan, and New Jersey, Light of the Setting Sun explores identity, gender roles, and whether healing can break the cycle for future generations.
Tom “Papa”’ Ray, DJ, musician, and owner of St. Louis’s Vintage Vinyl, visits record stores around the U.S. and the world, interviewing other indie store owners, musicians of all genres, and customers/music lovers.
Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow airs Thursday, May 7 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI and PBS apps. Repeats
WXXI brings you this 6-part series — all in one night — with back-to-back episodes. We kick off the night at 8 p.m. with the Rochester episode, where Papa stops at the Record Archive to talk with owner Richard Storms, House of Guitars to chat with co-founder Armand Schaubroeck, and Bop Shop Records to visit owner Tom Kohn.
The Rochester episode is followed by:
8:30pm Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow Chicago Papa heads to the Windy City stopping by Dusty Grooves, Shuga’s, Out Of The Past, and a store that really beckons to the past, Beverly’s.
9:00pm Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow Blues for the 21st Century American music is heavily laced with the DNA of The Blues. That was the case one hundred years ago and that’s the case now in the 21st Century. Clarksdale, Mississippi is ground zero.
9:30pm Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow Memphis Papa visits Memphis Records on the famous Beale Street, Shangri La Records, as well as Goner Records.
10:00pm Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow Florida Next stop Daddy Kool Records, Banana Records, Sweat Records, Yesterday & Today Records, and Technique Records.
10:30pm Papa Ray’s Vintage Vinyl Roadshow Jamaica The crew heads to Kingston to check out the vibe and where things are going in the home of ska, roots, reggae, and dancehall. They visit Rockers International Records, Derrick Harriott’s Record Shop,and Bob Marley’s Tuff Gong International Distribution.
Series repeats Saturday, May 23 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Lucy Worsley investigates the tensions and turning points that led to America’s declaration of independence from Britain in 1776.
Lucy Worsley Investigates: The American Revolution on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps. Airing Tuesday, June 2 at 8pm; Saturday, June 6 at 1pm-3:30pm; Tuesday, June 23 at 9pm (Part 1) & Tuesday 6/30 (Part 2) Aired previously: on Sunday, May 3 at 1 p.m.
About the Film: What is the British view of the American Revolution? With access to expert insights and original evidence, Lucy asks whether this explosive split could have been avoided. At New York’s City Hall Park, where George Washington’s troops heard the Declaration of Independence read aloud — a rallying cry that inspired rebels to destroy a statue of King George III and melt it into musket balls. At the New York Historical, Lucy examines a relic of this defiance and asks whether the rupture was inevitable. She then travels home to England to uncover the British perspective, studying King George’s maps and visiting Benjamin Franklin’s London home. She traces British and American tensions rising from Britain’s punitive taxes and the Stamp Act of 1765. In Boston, Lucy explores how the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party were flashpoints that pushed Americans toward war. Finally, Lucy reveals the radical voices — John Wilkes and Thomas Paine — whose words crystallized America’s vision of liberty and independence. Read the PBS Article for more background
American Masters “Michael Tilson Thomas: Where Now Is” airs Friday, May 1 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming live on the WXXI and PBS apps
In memory of the renowned conductor & composer Michael Tilson Thomas, who passed away on April 22, 2026, WXXI will encore this American Masters presentation.
American Masters explores the life and career of the Grammy-winning conductor, pianist and composer. A National Medal of Arts recipient and longtime Grammy-winning music director of the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas helped set the standard that an American orchestra should champion modern music.
Michael Tilson Thomas was considered the great young hope of American classical music, becoming a star overnight and gaining international recognition in 1969 when he stepped in mid-concert for ailing Boston Symphony conductor William Steinberg. The young conductor was well-poised to follow in the footsteps of his orchestral forebears. Instead, the freespirited Tilson Thomas—also a composer and pianist—forged his own path to become an 11-time Grammy-winning artist, National Medal of Arts recipient and Kennedy Center Honoree. Throughout his illustrious career, he has stretched the boundaries of classical music and championed the works of American composers with orchestras in the U.S. and around the world. The 2020–21 concert season marks his first year as Music Director Laureate of the San Francisco Symphony, with which he concluded his 25-year tenure as Music Director in June 2020.
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