Discover Inspiring Stories

Meet Mary Pleasant is the daring saga of a 19th-century African-American woman, born a slave and raised in Nantucket, who became an international abolitionist, a prosperous entrepreneur, and a civil-rights activist whose work helped alter modern-day civil-rights law.

For generations, the Clark family of Frankford, DE has shown tremendous support of one another as members faced hard times with tender loyalty. Our American Family: The Clarks traces the lives of this African-American family with seven children as they employed humor, resourcefulness and respect for all through the Depression, WWII, and racial tension.

A racially complex American city confronts its past and future. When a Black female city councilor, once bussed as a child to hostile neighborhoods, is catapulted to Acting Mayor, she breaks 200 years of white male mayorship. Boston's old school politics are further challenged when the top candidates in the historic 2021 mayoral race are all non-white women.

Unvieled celebrates the enduring legacies of two of Arkansas's most iconic figures. Daisy Bates, who courageously led the fight for civil rights, and Johnny Cash, whose music captured the soul of America, are immortalized in bronze in the U.S. Capitol’s National Statuary Hall. Explore the profound impact of their lives on history, from their humble beginnings to their lasting influence.

Slavery has deep roots in Connecticut and across New England. Enslaved people helped build the foundation of much of this state. Get to know some of these men, women and children and the lives they lived. Hear from descendants who reflect on their loved ones. And learn from historians, experts and volunteers going on a journey of discovery to uncover this hidden history.

An MPB Original Production honoring the life, work, and impact of one of Mississippi’s most courageous voices. This powerful two-hour documentary features interviews with Evers’ family, colleagues, and historians. Everlasting offers a moving, personal look at his legacy in the fight for civil rights.

Little Rock, Arkansas's, West 9th Street was once a vibrant, African-American business and entertainment district. Taborian Hall is the only remaining historic structure on West 9th Street and stands as a living witness of the street's former glory days.

Go beyond the legend and meet the inspiring woman who repeatedly risked her own life and freedom to liberate others from slavery.

Earlier this year, the federal government removed exhibits showing slavery and George Washington’s treatment of enslaved people at the President’s House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Community leaders quickly pushed back, both in person with activism and in court.

The history of the Montiers, a trailblazing Philadelphia family who were among the first African-American landowners in Pennsylvania.

Discover the momentous events that defined the African American experience in Las Vegas throughout the Civil Rights era. These events altered the city’s history and changed thousands of lives. Our story introduces individuals who are connected to these events, and to each other.

The story of the remarkable achievements of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the segregated all-female Women’s Army Corps deployed overseas during WWII. Tasked with organizing a huge backlog of undelivered mail intended for U.S. soldiers, the women, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight," worked tirelessly in challenging conditions to ensure that millions of letters reached the frontlines.

In the Spring of 1962, a group of students from Miles College created and launched a “Selective Buying Campaign” to boycott Birmingham’s downtown merchants. Their success paved the way for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the SCLC to choose Birmingham for action in 1963.

In December 1775, William “Billy” Flora, a free Black man from Portsmouth and member of the 2nd Virginia Regiment, performed a heroic act during the Battle of Great Bridge. Holding off British forces long enough for Patriot reinforcements to arrive, Flora helped secure a key victory that drove Governor Dunmore from Virginia and shaped the Revolution’s course. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

The Williamsburg Bray School, founded in 1760, is the oldest surviving building built to educate Black children in America. Its lessons reveal deep contradictions—teaching skills and faith while reinforcing enslavement. Today, the school stands as a site of resilience, memory, and critical reflection on America’s complex history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Archaeologists uncovered the foundations and burial ground of First Baptist Church, founded in 1776 by free and enslaved Blacks in Williamsburg. Once hidden beneath asphalt, the site now reveals a powerful story of faith, resilience, and historic justice, restoring this community to its rightful place in the American narrative. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

Michael Twitty, a James Beard Award–winning writer, explores the deep roots of American history, through food. During his time in Colonial Williamsburg, the culinary historian used dishes like sweet potato pumpkin and black-eyed peas, to reveal how food carried culture, resilience and identity, shaping Southern and American traditions and connecting past to present. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

James Armistead Lafayette, an enslaved man turned double agent, risked his life to spy on the British, delivering crucial intelligence to the Marquis de Lafayette that led to victory at Yorktown. His bravery earned him freedom, a pension, and enduring recognition as one of America’s unsung Revolutionary heroes. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

In 1776, hundreds of formerly enslaved men joined Lord Dunmore’s British forces on Gwynn’s Island, seeking freedom through war. Stricken by smallpox and starvation, they endured fierce cannon fire from Patriot troops under General Andrew Lewis. The British were forced to retreat, making a pivotal turn in the conflict and a huge moment in Virginia’s Revolutionary War history. Discover Hampton Roads’ unsung heroes whose actions helped spark the American Revolution.

“Two Roads” reveals two centuries of connection between African American and Irish culture, as expressed through dance and music. Full of wonderful surprises, the film offers a fresh perspective, confounding assumptions and demonstrating the transcendent power of art to bridge divisions.