The 6th and FINAL episode of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s PBS series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross, airs TONIGHT, Tuesday, November 26th at 8pm ET/PT.
Titled A More Perfect Union, covering the years 1968 through 2013, tonight’s episode explores…
… the new future African Americans sought, following the victories of the civil rights movement, but instead, ran into a growing class disparity that threatened to split the black community in two. As hundreds of African Americans won political office across the country and the black middle class made unprecedented progress, larger economic and political forces isolated the black urban poor in the inner cities, vulnerable to new social ills and an epidemic of incarceration. Yet, African Americans of all backgrounds came together to support Illinois’ Senator Barack Obama in his historic campaign for the presidency of the United States. When he won in 2008, many hoped that America had finally transcended race and racism. By the time of his second victory, it was clear that many issues, including true racial equality, remain to be resolved. Now we ask: How will African Americans help redefine the United States in the years to come?
I must admit that I haven’t been keeping up with the series, but I’ve recorded them all (and will do the same with tonight’s episode) so that I can watch on my own time, which won’t be too long from now – likely over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Have you been watching? If so, your thoughts on all you’ve seen thus far…
Below, watch a sneak peek at tonight’s final episode. For more information about the episode, visit: http://www.thirteen.org/