Discover Inspiring Stories

The railroad station once was in institution an American life, in small towns and big cities alike. This human-interest tale is interwoven with history as the program explores how people interacted with the stations in their towns through multiple generations.

The Route to Emancipation by Black History Bike Ride follows three friends as they embark on a 350-mile cycling route from the Texas Capitol in Austin to the site where Juneteenth began in 1865. The journey takes viewers back through centuries of Black history in Texas.

American industrial workers in steel, grain, textiles, and shipping tell their stories of labor and life along the Erie Canal. These are the men and women who built American economic prosperity on the Canal for 150 years, and bore the brunt of its decline in the final decades of the 20th century.

Harriet Tubman | From the Railroad to a Spy is a documentary that tells her complete story. Journey through the events and details of her incredible life story that are seldom told, from the underground railroad to her work as a Union Army scout and spy in military campaigns.

I'm Goin' Home is a story that has never been told about an enslaved person’s journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad. It is also the story of the brave men and women who helped him make the dangerous 400-mile trip from Senator Henry Clay’s Ashland Estate in Lexington, Kentucky to Canada. This account is also the vehicle by which the evils, economics and politics of slavery is revealed.

African American pioneer, Clara Brown's true-life story is told through the lens of an American opera, "Gabriel's Daughter." Clara became a successful entrepreneur, helped populate the African American Colorado community while searching for her only remaining daughter who was sold away from her at auction. Through Opera highlighted performances we discover Clara's struggles and triumphs.

Determined dreamers built a road through the clouds, clear to the summit of the tallest peak in the Northeast. Experience the year-round adventures of the "Rockpile".

On December 10th, 1869 the territory of Wyoming ratified into law the right for women to vote. Stories abound across the state regarding...

Explore the stories and contributions of Black jockeys, trainers, owners, grooms, and exercise riders in the 1800s who persevered through...

New Jersey, the Garden State, is known for its produce, but not for the enslaved people who tilled the soil. In this two-part...

Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom is a documentary by award-winning director, Ya’Ke Smith that invites viewers into the story of Juneteenth –...

From his birth in the Bitterroot Mountains among the Salish Tribe, to his exploits as a warrior with the Lemhi Shoshone and Bannocks,...

The Bozeman Trail was an offshoot of the Oregon Trail, a shortcut to the newly discovered gold fields of Montana Territory. Cutting...

This engaging film tells the story of Walt Whitman’s remarkable life (1819-1892), the turbulent era in which he lived, and the timeless...

This documentary focuses on the art and science of the 19th century naturalist John James Audubon. Audubon is best known for The Birds of...

The extraordinary life of Madame Walker is examined for its gravity on Indiana public life.

In 1887, a gang of horse thieves killed as many as 34 Chinese gold miners along the Oregon and Idaho border in Hells Canyon.

Theodore Clement “T.C.” Steele was one of the most celebrated American Impressionist painters of his time. WTIU presents Singing Winds:...

Learn about the origins of Wisconsin's state government, and explore the ever-changing process behind the legal system that guides us as...

This documentary delves into the remarkable life of Junius Groves, once an enslaved man from Edwardsville, Kansas who rose to become...