The African American Experience On Demand

The following The African American Experience programs are available to stream On Demand with PCN Select.

Interview with Rep. Joanna McClinton, Speaker of the PA House (2023) - PCN speaks with Rep. Joanna McClinton, the first female Speaker of the PA House and the first woman and African American elected as House Democratic Caucus Chair.

Joseph Winters, Inventor (2023) - PCN speaks with Mike Marotte about the life and inventions of Joseph Winters from Chambersburg, PA.

Interview with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey (2023) - PCN speaks with with Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey about his life, career, and philosophy.

Pittsburg's Hill District (2022) - From the 1920s to the 1950s, Pittsburgh’s Hill District became a vibrant community of African American art, jazz, restaurants and businesses. Laurence Glasco, an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh, joins us to talk about the history and significance of the Hill District.

The Great Migration & Black Politics in Philadelphia (2022) - During the Great Migration, African Americans from the South moved to northern cities in search if growing employment opportunities and to escape Jim Crow. Joining us to talk about the Great Migration and Black politics in Philadelphia is Clem Harris, an Associate Professor of History at Utica University. He is the author of the chapter “Old Philadelphians, the Great Migration, and the Irony of Progressive Politics” in the book “If There is No Struggle, There Is No Progress: Black Politics in 20th Century Philadelphia.”

Interview with Superior Court Judge Carolyn Nichols (2022) - In this episode of the African American Experience, PCN speaks with PA Superior Court Judge Carlyn Nichols about her life, career, and approach to the law.

African Americans in Reading, PA (2022) - PCN speaks with Wynton Butler, the branch historian for the NAACP Reading Chapter, to talk about the history and achievements of African Americans in Reading and Berks County.

Martin Delany (2022) - In this episode, Samuel Black, director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center, joins us to talk about the life of Martin Delany. Delany was born in 1812 in Charles Town, Virginia, and was an abolitionist, medical professional, newspaper publisher, author, advocate for African American emigration, and a Union Army officer during the Civil War.

Archaeology of the President's House (2022) - In this episode, we talk about the archaeology of the President’s House in Philadelphia and what archaeology can reveal about African American history. Our guest is Cheryl LaRoche. She is an archaeologist and Associate Research Professor at the University of Maryland and the author of “Free Black Communities and the Underground Railroad: The Geography of Resistance.”

The 351st Field Artillery Regiment in WWI (2021) - In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk about the history of the 351st Field Artillery Regiment in WWI with Samuel Black, Director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center.

Residential Segregation in Allentown (2021) - In the episode of the African American Experience, we talk to Wilberto Sicard about how state and local government policies contributed to residential segregation in Allentown and its impact on the city’s African American community. Sicard is the author of the paper "City with Limits: An Untold History of Residential Segregation and Education Inequality in Allentown, PA."

The 1969 Franklin & Marshall College Student Uprising (2021) - In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk with Todd Mealy about the history behind the black student uprising on May 22, 1969 at Franklin & Marshall College. Mealy is the author of "This Is the Rat Speaking: Black Power and the Promise of Racial Consciousness at Franklin and Marshall College in the Age of the Takeover, 1967–69."

The African American Community in Hinsonville, PA (2021) - In the 1830s a free Black community was established in Hinsonville, PA located in Chester County. Over the next several decades, members of the community established a church, participated in the Underground Railroad, helped found what would become Lincoln University, and fought in the Civil War. In this episode of the African American Experience we talk with Cheryl Renée Gooch about the history of the community. She is the author of “Hinsonville's Heroes: Black Civil War Soldiers of Chester County, Pennsylvania” and “On Africa's Lands: The Forgotten Stories of Two Lincoln Educated Missionaries in Liberia.”

August Wilson (2021) - In this episode of the African American Experience we talk with Laurence Glasco about the life and plays of August Wilson. Wilson was a playwright born and raised in Pittsburgh. He is known for his Century Cycle of plays each of which takes place during a decade of the 20th century. Wilson’s plays were regularly successful on Broadway and he won two Pulitzer Prizes and a Tony award. Glasco is the author of “August Wilson: Pittsburgh Places in His Life and Plays.”

Eden Cemetery (2021) - In this episode of the African American Experience we tour the historic Eden Cemetery in Collingdale, PA. Among the people interred at the cemetery are opera singer Marian Anderson, architect Julian Abele, abolitionist William Still and many others.

K. Leroy Irvis (2021) - K. Leroy Irvis was the first African American elected as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He served as Speaker from 1977 to 1978 and then again from 1983 to 1988. He was first elected to the House in 1958 and served for 30 years. Joining us to talk about the life of K. Leroy Irvis is Laurence Glasco, an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh.

Octavius Catto (2021) - On election day October 10, 1871, a 32-old African American man named Octavius Catto was murdered on the streets of Philadelphia. Catto was a teacher, militia officer, baseball player and civil rights activist. In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk with Daniel Biddle and Murray Dubin about the life of Octavius Catto. They are the authors of “Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America.”

William Still (2021) - In the mid-1800s, William Still was a major figure in the Underground Railroad, civil rights activism, and the abolition movement in Philadelphia. Joining us to talk about the life of William Still is Bill Kashatus. He is the author of "William Still: The Underground Railroad and the Angel at Philadelphia.”

The Dennis Farm (2020) - The Dennis Farm Charitable Land Trust was founded in 2001 in the Endless Mountains. The farm is a historical site first purchased in 1793 by Prince and Judith Perkins, who were free African Americans. The Dennis Family has retained ownership of the farm, despite it not being a working farm since the twentieth century, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Pittsburgh Courier (2020) - Founded in 1907, The Pittsburgh Courier would rise to become one of the most important African American newspapers in the country. Under the leadership of Robert L. Vann, the paper covered politics, sports, business, the Civil Rights Movement, and international affairs in the 1930s. During World War II, it championed the "Double V" campaign to fight for victory against the Axis Powers overseas and against racism at home. In this episode of The African American Experience, we talk with Samuel Black, director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, about the history of the paper from its founding to its closing in the mid-1960s.

Freedom Seekers of Waverly, PA (2020) - Before the Civil War, a community of African American freedom seekers grew in the town of Waverly in northeastern Pennsylvania. During the Civil War 13 African American men from the town served in the U.S. Colored Troops. In this episode of the African American Experience we talk with Yvonne Schrieks-Johnson and Jim Remsen about this community and its experiences during the Civil War.

William Chester Ruth, Inventor (2020) - William Chester Ruth was born in 1882 and was an African American inventor, blacksmith, entrepreneur, and lay minister in Gap, PA. By the 1950s he had been granted more than 50 patents for inventions such as a baler feeder, a cinder spreader, and a farm elevator. In this episode of the African American Experience we talk with Ruth's granddaughter Gwen Dickinson about his life and achievements.

The Christiana Resistance of 1851 (2019) - On Sept. 11, 1851, Maryland slave-owner Edward Gorsuch arrived at the farm of William Parker in search of an enslaved person that Parker was hiding. Armed neighbors rushed to the scene and in the ensuing fight against the slave catchers Edward Gorsuch was killed. Thirty-eight men, mostly African American, were arrested, but after the first defendant was acquitted, the rest of the men were released. In this episode of the African American Experience, Darlene Colon, president of the Christiana Historical Society, tells the story of the Christiana Resistance of 1851.

Slavery in South Central Pennsylvania (2019) - As British settlers moved into Pennsylvania's south central region in the early 1700s, they brought enslaved people with them. As slavery was dying out in the eastern part of the state it would continue to thrive in what is now Cumberland, Adams, Franklin, and York counties. In this episode of The African American Experience, we talk with author Cooper Wingert about the history of slavery, the Underground Railroad, and abolition in South Central Pennsylvania.

Camp William Penn and the U.S. Colored Troops (2019) - In 1863 when the Union Army began accepting African American men, Camp William Penn was established outside Philadelphia to train them. During the course of the war more than 10,500 soldiers comprising 11 infantry regiments were trained at the camp before leaving for battle. Camp William Penn soldiers fought in many battles, won Medals of Honor, were present at Robert E. Lee’s surrender, and participated in the hunt for John Wilkes Booth. In this episode we speak with professor and historian Don Scott about Camp William Penn, the soldiers who trained there, and their legacy.

The Great Migration & Pittsburgh (2019) - PCN speaks with Samuel Black, the director of African American Programs at the Heinz History Center, about how the Great Migration influenced Pittsburgh. During the Great Migration more than 6 million African Americans moved from the South to the North and West with many thousands settling in the Pittsburgh region. They worked in steel mills, started business, ran newspapers, and played jazz.

The William C. Goodridge Freedom Center & Underground Railroad Museum (2019) - William Goodridge was born in Baltimore to an enslaved mother and a white man. He was not allowed to be legally sold as a slave and was instead indentured to a tanner in York, PA. He was freed at 16 and went on to become a barber. Goodridge would later become a very successful businessman operating retail establishments and railroads. He was also one of the most prominent conductors on the Underground Railroad helping fugitive slaves escape to freedom. In this episode of The African American Experience we tour William Goodridge's home in York, PA to learn about his life and times.

African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps (2019) - During the Great Depression in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps was created to provide jobs to young, unemployed, single men. The CCC planted trees, built roads and dams, developed state parks, and fought forest fires. Joining us to talk about African Americans in the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania are Paul Fagley, an Environmental Education Specialist with the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and John Eastlake, a member of CCC Legacy.

Black History of Scranton (2019) - In the 1850 census four African American were documented as residents Scranton, today the community has about 5,000 residents. Over the years African Americans have made important contributions to the city in business, culture, and politics. In this episode of the African American Experience, we talk with Black Scranton Project founder Glynis Johns about the history of African Americans in Scranton.

The Lawrence Family of Erie, PA (2019) - In this episode of the African American Experience we look at black life in Erie through the experiences of the Lawrence family. The family arrived in Erie in the mid-1800s and went on to play a prominent role as entrepreneurs, musicians, and teachers in the 20th century. Joining us is Johnny Johnson, a member of the Harry T. Burleigh Society and the curator of the Lawrence family archives.