MasterClass
Black History Black Freedom And Black Love
"From critical race theory to the 1619 Project, Black intellectuals are reshaping conversations on race in America. Now seven of those preeminent voices share their insight on the reckoning with race in America in three parts: past, present, and future. Gain a foundational understanding of the history of white supremacy and discover a path forward through the limitless capacity and resilience of Black love.
MasterClass believes in the power of knowledge and learning to heal and help build a better world, so we are working to make this programming freely available in 2022. For those who wish to access MasterClass for their nonprofit organization, please see our Grants page."
MasterClass believes in the power of knowledge and learning to heal and help build a better world, so we are working to make this programming freely available in 2022. For those who wish to access MasterClass for their nonprofit organization, please see our Grants page."
Where to Watch Black History Black Freedom And Black Love
54 Episodes
- Black Love: A Love Like No OtherE2
Black Love: A Love Like No OtherProfessor Cornel West explains the significance of Black love in all its forms—art, culture, family, community, and dignity—and why, despite trauma, Black Americans continue to create freedom fighters to spread Black joy and win liberty for all. - Black People and the Promise of DemocracyE3
Black People and the Promise of DemocracyNikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project, shares how Black American resistance has historically been a major democratizing force in America, and offers insight on the complicated relationship between Black citizens and patriotism. - Black Women & The Struggle For LiberationE7
Black Women & The Struggle For LiberationAngela Davis describes slavery’s lasting impact on Black women—from emancipation to the Moynihan Report and beyond. She focuses on the lasting significance of Black matriarchy and how Black women were at the crux of two great struggles. - What They Didn't Teach You About the End of the Civil WarE8
What They Didn't Teach You About the End of the Civil WarNikole Hannah-Jones unravels the truth about what happened after emancipation, beginning with the Great Nadir. Black codes were introduced, Black businesses were destroyed, and Black Americans were terrorized by the practice of lynching. - Why You Should Know the 14th AmendmentE9
Why You Should Know the 14th AmendmentCivil Rights lawyer and NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill explains the 14th Amendment and how in making emancipated people full citizens, it also allowed for birthright citizenship and the “nation of immigrants” narrative. - Equality in Education Before BrownE14
Equality in Education Before BrownDiscover how Black children were educated before the Brown v. Board of Education ruling, from the creation of common schools to the impact of school desegregation on Black children who were never intended to be assimilated into public schools. - Violence, Change and The LawE18
Violence, Change and The LawSherrilyn Ifill explains how Black Americans’ civil rights were curtailed through white supremacists’ reactions to the 14th Amendment. The Civil Rights Acts unraveled gains made during Reconstruction, and Jim Crow laws were enacted in the South. - Know the Black Intellectual TraditionE20
Know the Black Intellectual TraditionJelani Cobb continues a discussion of extraordinary Black voices established in Part I, John McWhorter explores the roots of his own “heterodox” thinking, and Cornel West examines revolutionary Christianity and seminal, divergent Black thinkers. - Lynching, White Supremacy, and the LawE21
Lynching, White Supremacy, and the LawSherrilyn Ifill unpacks the shameful history of lynching in America, exploring how forces of law and order were often deployed to terrorize Black citizens, such as George Armwood, whose murderers were never prosecuted or held responsible. - Government Fostered SegregationE24
Government Fostered SegregationNikole Hannah-Jones discusses how municipalities and the federal government responded to the influx of Black families during the Great Migration. Black citizens were denied the leg up that white citizens received, from the G.I. Bill to redlining. - Thurgood Marshall and the Key to Black CitizenshipE25
Thurgood Marshall and the Key to Black CitizenshipSherrilyn Ifill shares the legacy of Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court Justice. Discover how he created a strategy for tearing down racial apartheid through equal access to education, the key to Black citizenship. - The Most Monumental Court Case, Perhaps EverE26
The Most Monumental Court Case, Perhaps EverSherrilyn Ifill and Nikole Hannah-Jones deconstruct the Supreme Court case that may be the most consequential of the last century—Brown v. Board of Education—and the story you haven’t heard about the highest calling of education: democracy. - The Fight for Fair HousingE27
The Fight for Fair HousingNikole Hannah-Jones lays out the North’s version of racial apartheid: housing segregation. After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. and urban uprisings in 100 cities, the federal government passes the mostly unenforceable Fair Housing Act. - The Government’s “Riot Report”E28
The Government’s “Riot Report”Jelani Cobb digs deeper into the most important government study you’ve never heard of, the Kerner Commission Report. Why do its findings matter? Why were they ignored? And what can we learn from the report now, more than a half-century later? - Rolling Back the Voting Rights ActE30
Rolling Back the Voting Rights ActJelani Cobb explores the aftermath of the Voting Rights Act of 1965: While it enfranchised millions of African Americans, a backlash followed. Learn about dog-whistle politics, the Southern Strategy, and other efforts to undermine civil rights. - Intersectionality: Where Race Meets GenderE31
Intersectionality: Where Race Meets GenderKimberlé Williams Crenshaw explains intersectionality, the term she coined for the intersection of gender, race, and culture. The case study of DeGraffenreid v. General Motors illustrates missed opportunities to equally protect Black women. - The Importance of Anita HillE32
The Importance of Anita HillAs counsel to Anita Hill at the Clarence Thomas Senate Judiciary Hearings, Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw witnessed one of the most significant cultural events of the late 20th century, an example of intersectionality that she deconstructs for you. - White Supremacy and PolicingE33
White Supremacy and PolicingJelani Cobb and Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw explore how urban uprisings almost always stem from failed police interactions. They also cover the origins of qualified immunity, the dangers of driving while Black, and the “Say Her Name” movement. - Critical Race Theory: The OriginE35
Critical Race Theory: The OriginKimberlé Williams Crenshaw breaks down critical race theory’s origin, from Harvard Law School and the pioneering work of legal scholar Derrick Bell to today. Learn how it offers a lens to identify opportunities for change in law and society. - Recognize the White Supremacy Inside of YouE40
Recognize the White Supremacy Inside of YouPhilosopher and theologian Cornel West explores the concept of white supremacy and 400 years of American history that reinforced it. He also covers how Black people created countervailing forces to affirm their dignity and worth. - What Is Owed: The Case for ReparationsE42
What Is Owed: The Case for ReparationsVeteran journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones argues that the time for reparations has finally arrived. Find out why investing in reparations is an investment in America’s future as much as it is a recompensation for the wrongs of the past. - When They Try to Dehumanize YouE43
When They Try to Dehumanize YouJelani Cobb reflects on a personal story that made him realize that people who seek to dehumanize you cannot do so without your consent. John McWhorter deconstructs the N-word—how it evolved and why he believes we shouldn’t give it power. - Why I Send My Child to a Segregated School (And Why You Should, Too)E44
Why I Send My Child to a Segregated School (And Why You Should, Too)Nikole Hannah-Jones shares her reasoning for sending her own daughter to an all-Black, high-poverty school. She challenges all parents to embrace real equality and live their values when choosing how to educate their children. - Why We Need to Memorialize Sites of Racial ViolenceE45
Why We Need to Memorialize Sites of Racial ViolenceSherrilyn Ifill explains why Americans are ill-prepared to have a truly healing conversation about race. She challenges us to commit to creating common ground for that discussion by memorializing the painful truths of the past. - What the 2020 Election Taught UsE50
What the 2020 Election Taught UsSherrilyn Ifill examines lessons learned in the 2020 presidential election and the insurgency that followed it. She considers how they are connected to historical realities in America and why Black people cannot leave power on the table.