Discover Inspiring Stories

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.

"Still Here: Native American Resilience in New England" features Indigenous perspectives and takes a fresh look at the history of the region, including the hidden history of Indigenous slavery, "paper genocide" and efforts to keep traditions alive.

Defending Freedom tells the story of Birmingham-native Arthur D. Shores, and the impact he had on the civil rights movement as one of Alabama's first Black trial attorneys.

Quilt making has a long history in Alabama, and there are no finer examples of this art form than the motifs and craftsmanship of the quilts of Gee’s Bend.

The story of the now legendary Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-56. Locally engineered by Montgomery's Black community, this nonviolent protest to end bus segregation inspired a new era in freedom and human rights struggles around the globe.

Discover the story of Florida during the American Revolution: a place loyal to the British Crown, shaped by international land swaps, cultural clashes, and the determination of its people.

Why does Minnesota suffer through some of the worst racial disparities in the nation? One answer is the spread of racist, restrictive real estate covenants in the early 20th century. Jim Crow of the North charts the progression of racist policies and practices from the advent of restrictive covenants after the turn of the last century to their final elimination in the late 1960s.

Anthony Veliz, a fifth-generation Oregonian, shares his family's connection to Colegio César Chávez—the first accredited Chicano college in the U.S. founded in Mt. Angel, Oregon—and how it inspired his mission of educational reform.

The story of a third-generation Japanese American-owned fruit orchard in the shadow of Oregon’s Mount Hood. The Kiyokawas have been stewards of the land since 1911 and, over the next century, survived the forcible relocation of Japanese Americans to concentration camps during World War II and the continuing challenges of generational farming.

In 1887, a gang of horse thieves killed as many as 34 Chinese gold miners along the Oregon and Idaho border in Hells Canyon. It’s thought to be the worst massacre of Chinese people by white settlers in the United States. Chinese immigrants helped build the West Coast of the United States, but they faced unprecedented legalized discrimination and violence. For over a century, locals covered up the murders, and no one was held accountable. This program delves into the mystery o

From his birth in the Bitterroot Mountains among the Salish Tribe, to his exploits as a warrior with the Lemhi Shoshone and Bannocks, Washakie was recognized early as an extraordinary person. But he made his historical claim to greatness in the second half of the 19th century, as chief of the Eastern Shoshone.

This story takes a deep archival dive into the rise of white nationalism in Portland, Oregon, which led to the murder of Ethiopian immigrant Mulugeta Seraw in 1988 at the hands of racist skinheads. The story is grounded in the personal account of Mulugeta’s uncle Engedaw Berhanu, who led the charge to hold the racist organization White Aryan Resistance responsible for his nephew’s murder. The film draws on oral histories of antiracist activists and people from Portland’s musi

Insights and interviews from participants of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court case.