Black Horizons Special Collection | AAPB
Support Materials
Background Information
Background: Black Horizons was WQED’s pioneering public affairs program created in 1968 to serve Pittsburgh’s Black community. For more than four decades, the series highlighted local voices, achievements, and issues shaping the region’s Black experience—covering topics from business and education to arts, politics, and community leadership.
Through funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), WQED preserved and digitized hundreds of Black Horizons episodes to ensure continued access to this vital record of regional history.
The collection is now freely available through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB)—a partnership between GBH and the Library of Congress—which provides online access to historic public media from across the nation. Explore the full collection at americanarchive.org
Additional Resources:
List of Black-Produced TV Shows Nationwide, from 1968
Digital Exhibit on Televising Black Politics in the Black Power Era: Black Journal and Soul!
Searching and Selecting Content
Get Started
- Visit americanarchive.org.
- Click “Special Collections” above the search bar.
- Scroll to the Black Horizons Collection icon and select it.
Browse All Episodes
- Click the red “View the Collection” button to see all 606 episodes.
- Sort results by date, title, or episode number (oldest first is the default).
- Use the Date filter on the left to narrow your search.
Search the Collection
- Type a name or topic in the “Search the collection” box.
- Example: Searching “MLK” shows four episodes where “MLK” appears in the title or transcript.
Watch and Explore
- Click an episode title or thumbnail to open it.
- Each episode includes a description and transcript.
- If the transcript isn’t visible, click the “+” on the lavender Transcript bar.
- Use the transcript search to find every mention of a word, then click Play to jump to that moment in the video.
Share a Clip
- Click “Share a Segment” below the video player.
- Adjust the clip’s start and end points.
- Copy the link to share your selected segment with students or colleagues.
Need Help?
Watch the tutorial videos below for step-by-step guidance on exploring the collection, searching by topic, and sharing clips.
Tutorial videos:
About
Collections Content: Collections digitized through the NEH and NHPRC funding include a wide variety of content and topics, with special focus on Black History and Pittsburgh’s Black community. Episodes of Black Horizons include multiple segments in which the host welcomes guests to discuss a wide range of topics, including social and political issues such as housing discrimination, gang violence prevention, family and child support services, and healthcare access. The program also highlights community events, local entrepreneurs, scholarship opportunities, and resources for personal growth and empowerment. The collection includes representation relating to church activities that support community building and education, Black business advocacy groups and success stories, and partnerships between schools, museums, and non-profits that engage young people in creative and educational pursuits. The collection also features numerous performances by and interviews with Black artists and creators, including writers, actors, musicians, dancers, and designers whose work is shown and discussed. Guests of note include actor and activist Billy Porter, astronaut Mae Carol Jemison, musician and educator Dr. Nathan Davis, actor and activist Ossie Davis, and many more.
Credits: WQED Multimedia, Molly Tighe
Standards
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