Remembering Maya Angelou’s Groundbreaking 1968 KQED TV Series, ‘Blacks, Blues! Black!’

KQED's Forum

The U.S. Mint has issued a new quarter featuring writer Maya Angelou with her arms aloft, in front of a rising sun. It’s the first time a Black woman has been featured on a U.S. quarter. In light of the honor, we look back at a remarkable television series that Maya Angelou created for KQED in 1968. The groundbreaking series, ‘Blacks, Blues, Black!’ celebrated the culture and history of Africa and the influence of Black culture on American society. We’ll listen back to clips from the show and talk about the Bay Area’s Black community in the late 60s and the intersection of culture and activism.

Guests:

Cheryl Fabio, filmmaker, directed and produced "Evolutionary Blues," a documentary about West Oakland's music and community

Dorothy Tsuruta, professor of Africana Studies, specializing in literature, San Francisco State University