“America in Black and White”, a BBC two-part documentary, is available for U.S. broadcast now through February 25. Access it now, along with on-air promo, via the American Public Media Exchange on ContentDepot. See the program description below, and additional context from BBC World Service’s Senior Commissioning Editor Steve Titherington.

Program Description:

Protests against shootings of young black men by the police have pushed the issue of race to the top of the public agenda. The BBC’s Washington Correspondent, Rajini Vaidyanathan, has covered many of the recent protests, from Baltimore to Ferguson. In this series of two one-hour documentaries, Rajini takes a step back and examines some of the deep, underlying structural issues which America still has with race. She travels across the country to unpick the ways justice, housing, education and popular culture have contributed to the sore of race in America, and meet people who are pushing for healing and reconciliation.

In the first hour, Rajini explores the criminal justice system and economic opportunity – or lack of it. In the second hour, intended to follow the first hour, she looks into the legacy and continuing influence of segregation as well as how black Americans, and blackness itself, is represented in culture.

“America in Black and White” follows the standard BBC World Service clock.

From BBC World Service Senior Commissioning Editor Steve Titherington:

Dear Stations,

At the BBC World Service we are taking more time to understand difficult issues. Few would argue with making race in America one of those issues.

You might argue whether we – the BBC – are really the right people to try and tell that story. My response is that we are not trying to tell that story, but we are asking questions and traveling across America to try and get those questions answered.

We are interested in understanding the divisions between black and white, and also to hear from those involved in looking at how to tackle those issues. America in Black and White is about how America is itself analysing its problems and what America offers in the way of answers. It’s not emotional, it’s not a ‘who dunnit’, it’s not celebrity endorsed. It’s just plain old fashioned radio journalism, and we think worth listening to.

I hope you’ll share this perspective on race in America with your audiences.

Yours Sincerely,
Steve Titherington