As we arrive firmly in the spring, Earth Month in April gives us the opportunity to – literally – smell the flowers. It’s no secret that our climate is experiencing rapid change at a pace unheard of in human history, making it ever more important to respect our planet. New and streaming films this month focus on communities striving to protect their families, homes and traditions from the adverse effects of climate change while cherishing the beauty and cultural significance of their surroundings.
Premiering this month, a new Local, USA episode, “Linnentown,” examines the history of the historically Black neighborhood of Athens, GA and how an urban renewal project forced families out of their homes. And four new Stories from the Stage celebrate the season with stories of the environment, sports and more.
WATCH LIVE
For the Love of Rutland | America ReFramed
April 3 on TV & the PBS app | Available now on PBS Passport
An attempt to bring Syrian refugees to invigorate the economically struggling and predominantly white town of Rutland, VT unleashes deep partisan rancor. Despite a lifetime of feeling invalidated and shamed for her poverty and addiction, long-time Rutland resident Stacie emerges as an unexpected and resilient leader in a town divided by class, cultural values, and political leanings.
High Tide, Don't Hide | Pacific Heartbeat
April 4 on TV
In Aotearoa, New Zealand, five local students led their communities in what became the world’s largest climate change strike. Witness the inner processes of teenagers mobilizing record-setting numbers of children and adults while dealing with the looming threat of climate change, interpersonal politics, and the need to just be teenagers.
Hawai'i's Precious Resources | Pacific Heartbeat
April 4 on TV
Three short films explore the delicate balance of Hawai‘i’s ecosystems, encourage us to reflect on our relationship with the natural world, and show us that even the smallest species, like Hawaiian tree snails, and ornamental trees, like the coconut, are worth saving.
NEW Out of the Park | Stories from the Stage
April 7 on TV & the PBS app
When the game gets personal, the stakes go beyond the scoreboard. Ajay invents a divine strategy to help his team win a baseball game in India; Shannon and his brother unexpectedly bond on the field through beep baseball; and Andrew chases a dream of pitching a no-hitter, only to realize success isn’t always what it seems to be.
WE WANT THE FUNK! | Independent Lens
April 9 on TV & the PBS app
A syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown's dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat, the story traces funk's influences on both new wave and hip-hop.
36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime | Reel South
April 10 on TV & the PBS app
This emotional documentary follows the families of three Muslim-American students who were killed in Chapel Hill, NC as they fight for justice after their loved ones' deaths are dismissed as the result of a parking dispute. The film explores themes of resilience and the power of community advocacy.
Sapelo | America ReFramed
April 10 on TV & the PBS app | Available now on PBS Passport
On Sapelo island, two young brothers, JerMarkest and Jonathan, are coming of age in the last remaining enclave of the Saltwater Geechee. As Sapelo’s storyteller and elder matriarch, their adoptive mother, Cornelia Walker Bailey, works to preserve what remains of her African-American community in the face of encroachment by property developers.
NEW Victory Lap | Stories from the Stage
April 14 on TV & the PBS app
For some runners, the finish line is a milestone in a much bigger journey. Norah joins an all-women crew to conquer the Boston Marathon despite winds, hills and doubters; Jenny attempts a cross-country run, finding strength in failure and donuts; and Mel refuses to let a terminal leukemia diagnosis stop him from running a marathon.
How to Sue the Klan / I'm Still Here | Reel South
April 17 on TV & the PBS app
How to Sue the Klan: Five Black women from Chattanooga take on the Ku Klux Klan in a landmark 1982 civil case that brings justice and accountability to the notorious hate group.
I’m Still Here: Survivors of Birmingham's civil rights-era bombings reflect on their experiences, transforming the city’s painful past into a symbol of hope and healing. Available now on the PBS app.
A Decent Home | America ReFramed
April 17 on TV, the PBS app & YouTube | Available now on PBS Passport
When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is being devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? The film addresses urgent issues of class and economic (im)mobility through the lives of mobile home park residents who can’t afford housing anywhere else. Watch an interview with filmmaker Sara Terry.
NEW Saving the Planet | Stories from the Stage
April 21 on TV & the PBS app
Fighting for the planet often starts with finding your voice. A student’s question leads Eben to find purpose in helping young people fight for climate justice; Dyan joins the largest animal rescue to save 20,000 oil-soaked penguins; and climate organizer Sara chases bold advocacy goals, realizing change begins at the kitchen table.
Black Godfather of Scuba / The Voice of Bamboo / Ishak | Reel South
April 24 on TV & the PBS app
Black Godfather of Scuba: The inspiring story of Dr. Albert “Doc” Jones, who, through his work as a Black scuba diver, has helped uncover lost histories, including the recovery of the Henrietta Marie, the first discovered slave ship. Available now on YouTube.
The Voice of Bamboo: A Japanese elder shares his journey of moving from Japan to become a bamboo farmer in the mountains of North Carolina, where bamboo gave him refuge and taught him how to live.
Ishak: A young filmmaker is tapped to learn the ways of her elders and carry on their sacred traditions as the next chief of the Atakapa-Ishak Nation, making her the second woman to lead the tribe since 1771.
Meltdown in Dixie | America ReFramed
April 24 on TV & the PBS app
In the wake of the 2015 Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts in Orangeburg, SC between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. The film explores the broader role of Confederate symbolism in 21st century America and the lingering racial oppression that these symbols help maintain. Watch another WORLD film by director Emily Harrold, “In the Bubble with Jaime,” now on PBS Passport.
NEW Linnentown | Local, USA
April 28 on TV, YouTube & the PBS app
The last living descendants of a once-thriving Black neighborhood in Athens, GA come together to fight to preserve the memory of Linnentown and to seek redress for what was lost. Their family homes were razed in a 1960s urban renewal program and they, along with civic-minded neighbors, unite to try to reclaim their forgotten history and forge a path toward reconciliation.
Free for All: The Public Library | Independent Lens
April 30 on TV & the PBS app
The story of the quiet revolutionaries who made a simple idea happen. From the pioneering women behind the “Free Library Movement” to today's librarians who service the public despite working in a contentious age of closures and book bans, meet those who created a civic institution where everything is free and the doors are open to all.
The Taste of Mango | POV
April 30 on TV & the PBS app
The Taste of Mango is an enveloping, hypnotic, urgently personal meditation on family, memory, identity, violence, and love. Spanning three generations of women, their narratives, by turns difficult and jubilant, bear witness to the complex, ever-evolving nature of inheritance and the hurt and protection entangled within familial bonds.
STREAM NOW
Freedom Hill | AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange
April 7 on TV | Available now on YouTube
Princeville, NC sits atop wet, swampy land along the Tar River. In the 1800s, the land was disregarded and deemed uninhabitable by white people. But after the Civil War, this indifference left it available for newly freed enslaved Africans to settle. Residents once called it ‘Freedom Hill’ before its incorporation, gradually establishing a self-sufficient, all Black town. But the historical town has been inundated with flooding over the centuries...and with each flood, a little more of the small town erodes. Watch an interview with filmmaker Resita Cox.
Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life | Local, USA
Available now on YouTube and PBS Passport
Despite wildfire smoke and a depleting fishery, Lummi families fish for sockeye salmon. The film, which explores the deep spiritual and cultural connection between the Lummi and salmon, lifts values of respect, gratitude, and sharing as they are passed onto the next generation. Through the Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw, the "Salmon People," we learn that protecting salmon and this lifeway is a full-time job.
Firelighters: Fire Is Medicine | Local, USA
Available now on YouTube and PBS Passport
For centuries, most landscapes in North America were shaped, between lightning strikes and Indigenous burns by fire. Indigenous people had deep knowledge of the art of using fire, and still do today. Follow the work of women leaders from the Yurok and Karuk Tribes who are building resources to share Indigenous practices and create policies to take back Indigenous burning rights.
Against the Current: Life on the Eastern Shore | Local, USA
Available now on YouTube
A powerful look at how residents of Virginia’s Eastern Shore, like many coastal towns, are subject to rising sea waters and the challenges it has on their lives and livelihood. Through resilience and perseverance, they learn to co-exist and celebrate their rural home. How can this community shed light on conversations happening around these issues of climate change?
Inundation District | Local, USA
Available now on PBS Passport
In a time of rising seas, one city spent billions of dollars erecting a new waterfront district – on landfill, at sea level. Unlike other places imperiled by climate change, this community, with some of the world’s largest companies, was built well after scientists began warning of the threats. The city called its new neighborhood the Innovation District. Others are calling it the Inundation District.
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