Release Date: Thu, Jan 27, 2011

Wisconsin Public Television's February Programs Honor Black History Month

For More Information: Lynn Brockmeyer, WPT publicist, 608-263-3364, [email protected] Erik Ernst, WPT promotion manager, 608-265-3853, [email protected] Throughout the month of February, programs on Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) commemorate and celebrate the contributions of blacks throughout American history. At 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, Independent Lens "When I Rise" is the story of Barbara Smith Conrad, a gifted music student who struggled against the odds to reach the heights of international opera. At 10:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, WPT Home Theater presents "The Color Purple."  The feature-length film, centered on a young black girl named Celie, shows the problems black women faced during the early 1900s — poverty, racism and sexism. WPT will present an encore of "The Color Purple" at 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19.  At 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, Independent Lens "Adjust Your Color: The Truth of Petey Greene" profiles America's original shock-jock. Greene unsettled the establishment as he battled the system and his own demons on a journey to becoming a leading activist. At 11 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, Austin City Limits features "Allen Toussaint." As a composer, Toussaint has defined the state of New Orleans R&B and soul for 50 years with hits that include "Southern Nights,"  "Working On a Coal Mine," "Mother-in-Law" and "Fortune Teller." WPT is a service of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Wisconsin Public Television is a place to grow through learning on WHA-TV, Madison; WPNE-TV, Green Bay; WHRM-TV, Wausau; WLEF-TV; WLEF-TV, Park Falls; WHLA-TV, La Crosse; and WHWC-TV, Menomonie-Eau Claire.

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