Tuesday, February 6, 2001

PeachStar Celebrates African American Heritage

In February, PeachStar will observe Black History Month with a variety of programming showcasing the significant contributions African Americans have made, not only here in the United States, but also around the world.

The selections will include episodes from PeachStar's awarding-winning Georgia Stories series that focus on African American history, culture and the Civil Rights Movement. The Civil Rights unit will be enhanced by video excerpts from the GPTV documentary Hosea Williams: In His Own Words. Before the Reverend Williams passed away, GPTV conducted one of the last full-length interviews with the Civil Rights leader. From his home in East Lake, Williams recounts his extraordinary life, from his childhood in South Georgia and his later alliance with the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. to his work with the needy. This fascinating journey emphasizes the importance of education and of standing up for your beliefs, regardless of the consequences. With odds stacked against him throughout his life, Williams rose to the challenge of finishing high school in his 20s, completing college, and becoming one of the wealthiest African Americans in Savannah, but gave up his wealth to join the Civil Rights Movement. Under his leadership, both Savannah and St. Augustine became racially integrated. Williams later became a political leader, serving in the Georgia House of Representatives, the Atlanta City Council and the DeKalb County Commission. Williams' poignant observations about the current state of racial relations in Atlanta provide the context for further classroom discussion.

Teachers: GPTV will rebroadcast this hour-long documentary in February. Teachers who tape this program should preview the interview prior to class viewing as it contains mature content and language.

See the next page for a comprehensive listing of programming PeachStar will air in February in observance of Black History Month.