PITTSBURGH (February 2, 2026) — This February, WQED invites our neighbors to spend Black History Month with stories that reflect resilience, creativity, and community—told by and about Black voices in Pittsburgh and across the country.
Throughout the month, WQED will present a wide range of programming across television, radio, streaming, and digital platforms, offering viewers multiple ways to engage with Black history, culture, and lived experience.
At the heart of this year’s programming is Pursuing Light: The Bill Strickland Story, publicly premiering on WQED on February 2, with encore broadcasts throughout the month. The documentary explores the life and impact of Bill Strickland, a Pittsburgh native whose vision for beauty, dignity, and high expectations reshaped education, workforce development, and community building—locally and far beyond.
WQED’s Black History Month storytelling extends into its on-demand experience as well. The WQED+ streaming app features a curated Black History Month documentaries collection, including powerful local films such as Keepers of the Flame, A Beacon for Change: The Pittsburgh Courier Story, Memories of the March, Who Speaks for the Negro, and Wylie Avenue Days, alongside national documentaries exploring civil rights, culture, and social change.
Radio and digital programming will add new layers of context and conversation, with exclusive interviews featuring Pittsburgh leaders, artists, and historians, as well as social media spotlights drawn from WQED’s archives and the neighborhoods it serves today. Weekly social features will also highlight Black-owned local businesses, continuing WQED’s focus on community connection and visibility.
Together, this February-long initiative reflects WQED’s role as a trusted local storyteller, honoring history while making space for contemporary voices and shared understanding.
Explore the full Black History Month schedule, including broadcast times and streaming options, at wqed.org/blackhistorymonth.
About WQED
Founded more than 70 years ago as America’s first community-owned television station, WQED was a forerunner to PBS and the television home of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Known as southwestern Pennsylvania’s Voice of the Arts, WQED provides a vital platform that amplifies our region’s vibrant and diverse cultural assets. Every day, WQED showcases the stories and voices that make our communities unique, strengthening our connections to each other, and deepening our pride in the place we call home.