PBS Unveils 2025 Black History Month Lineup Highlighting Legacy and Heritage

PBS proudly announces its 2025 Black History Month lineup, a celebration of legacy and the compelling stories that illuminate the diversity of Black experiences across generations. The slate of broadcast, digital, and streaming content explores Black heritage, cultural icons, family bonds, and more, bringing forth inspiring content that honors the richness of the community.

This year’s programming spans groundbreaking documentaries, family-centered stories, and compelling digital content specially curated to educate, inspire, and honor Black culture. Highlights include a brand-new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. For the first time, Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. traces his own lineage, along with other guests, including actors Laurence Fishburne and Sheryl Lee Ralph, poet Rita Dove, and historian Lonnie Bunch. Additionally, Professor Gates hosts GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE, which delves into the powerful influence of Black migration on American culture and society.

“PBS is proud to celebrate Black history and heritage in February and beyond, and we’re especially excited about the stories that we’ll bring to life with the new slate in 2025,” said Sylvia Bugg, Chief Programming Executive and General Manager, General Audience Programming at PBS. “Legacy is such a powerful force in storytelling, and it naturally shines through our content in a way that we hope helps foster connection and invites everyone to learn from and engage with one another on a deeper level.”

PBS KIDS will premiere four new episodes from LYLA IN THE LOOP on February 3, including stories that celebrate Jamaica Day and highlight Black inventors, in addition to a new game “Lyla and Stu’s Hairdos.” The game gives players a chance to help style Lyla’s hair, with help from Lyla herself, who will guide players step-by-step to get her look just right. PBS KIDS will also debut new episodes of XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM, featuring Willard Wigan and Jackie Robinson, in addition to a Black History Month playlist all month long on pbskids.org.

“We’re welcoming the month with new content from LYLA IN THE LOOP and XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM, along with a Black History Month playlist to PBS KIDS,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We’re excited to showcase these characters’ stories and know families across the country will love them as much as we do, in February and beyond.”

Below is the full schedule of Black History Month 2025 programs premiering on PBS (check local listings), PBS.org, and the PBS app – available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast and VIZIO.

FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. (Season 11)

Premieres: Tuesdays, January 7 – February 25 and April 1 – 8, 8PM ET

Renowned scholar Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. returns for a new season of FINDING YOUR ROOTS. Using genealogy and DNA analysis, Gates guides twenty compelling guests into their family trees, uncovering buried secrets and lost ancestors.

GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Premieres: Tuesdays, January 28 – February 18, 9PM ET

GREAT MIGRATIONS: A PEOPLE ON THE MOVE, new four-hour series hosted by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., explores how a series of Black migrations have shaped the U.S. From waves of Black Americans to the North – and back South – to immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, movement is a defining feature of the Black experience.

LYLA IN THE LOOP

Premieres: Monday, February 3 on PBS KIDS

“Lyla Gets a Grip / Rappin’ Riddles”

With the help of Everett and Ale, Lyla overcomes her fear of rock-climbing. / The twins get Lyla and Ev’s help to improve their riddle game about everyday objects made by Black inventors.

“The Artist Formerly Known as Liana / Jamaica Day”

Liana accidentally submits art that Stu made, and she feels guilty taking the credit for Stu’s work. / Lyla and Luke perform an “Anansi” folktale puppet show for a Jamaica Day celebration in the neighborhood.

“Runaway Tarantula / Rainy Day, Indoor Play”

Ale wants to show the Loops her pet tarantula, but it keeps escaping, so Lyla and Ale make an escape-proof container. Lyla and her siblings are stuck inside because of rain and escape boredom by recreating park activities indoors.

“Miss Emmaline’s Magic Trunk / Luke’s Puppy”

Lyla figures out how to do a magic trick with clues from her neighbor, Miss Emmaline. / Luke finds a puppy and has to figure out what the puppy wants by watching and listening to it.

WYNTON MARSALIS’ ALL RISE: LIVE AT CHAUTAUQUA

Streaming Premiere: Tuesday, February 11 on PBS Passport

Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise: Live at Chautauqua is a full-length performance film recorded during the institution’s 150th Anniversary celebration. All Rise is one of Marsalis’ most ambitious works. It features Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Chautauqua’s Music School Festival Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM “I am Willard Wigan”

Premieres: Monday, February 17 on PBS KIDS

Willard Wigan shows Yadina that slowing down can help her make friendship bracelets more carefully.

XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM “I am Jackie Robinson”

Premieres: Tuesday, February 18 on PBS KIDS

Jackie Robinson shows Xavier that when something isn’t right, it takes courage to change it.

AMERICAN MASTERS “The Disappearance of Miss Scott”

Premieres: Friday, February 21, 9PM ET

This feature documentary will spotlight Hazel Scott, the most famous jazz virtuoso of her time and the first African American to have her own television show. A champion for racial equality before what we now consider to be the civil rights movement, Scott’s bright star dimmed when she was caught up in the Red Scare of the 1950s and refused to back down, testifying in front of the House Un-American Activities Committee to defend herself and her colleagues, and was blacklisted as a result.

INDEPENDENT LENS “Bike Vessel”

Premieres: Monday, February 24, 10PM ET

Knowing his dad miraculously recovered from three open-heart surgeries after discovering a passion for cycling, filmmaker Eric D. Seals proposes an ambitious idea: Bike together from St. Louis to Chicago. 350 miles. 4 days. On their journey, the two push each other as they find a deeper connection and a renewed appreciation of their quests for their own health and to reimagine Black health.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE “Forgotten Hero: Walter White and the NAACP”

Premieres: Tuesday, February 25, 9PM ET

Meet Walter White, the NAACP’s longtime leader and one of the most influential but least known figures in civil rights history. Under his leadership, the NAACP paved the way for Black power at the ballot box and scored important legal victories.

Additional programming, including encore specials, will be available to stream on PBS.org and the PBS app.

Alongside PBS’s linear broadcast schedule, THE BLOCK PARTY, an online community gathering to celebrate Black stories featured in documentaries and programs, returns for a fourth consecutive year. Audiences can also watch web series and other digital content on the Black History Month YouTube playlists by PBS Digital Studios and THE BLOCK PARTY, including:

Storied: Literary Icons You NEED to Know From the Harlem Renaissance (feat. Princess Weekes) | It’s Lit

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE | PBS: Civil Rights in the Sky: The woman who paved the way for Black flight attendants

Say It Loud: Where Are You REALLY From? Black Migrations and Immigration, Explained

PBS Voices: Exploring the Revolutionary Legacy of Black River Baptisms

PBS LearningMedia is a free educational resource that includes curriculum-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators nationwide. Each year, PBS LearningMedia provides a curated Black History Month collection to showcase Black excellence through contributions, achievements, and ideas across subjects and eras.