BLACK HISTORY ^îurtlanb QDbecrticr The greatest unknown fighting force in America s history The W o rld Premiere o f Harlem H e llfig h te rs, the greatest, unknown fig h tin g force in A m e rica 's history, airs February 23 at 10 pm ET/11 pm PT. ¡^liters New Y o rk , January 12 - M e m o ri­ al Day 1996 Henry Johnson is hon­ H e llfig h te rs ” T heir trium phant sto­ w orth was central to much o f what occurred during the C iv il W ar for B la c k A m e ric a n s . T h e H a rle m H e llfig h te rs began in Harlem , as the 15th Regiment o f the New Y ork N a tio n a l G uard. V ir tu a lly every w h ite ethnic neighborhood in New ry, though unknown to most A m e r­ icans, is vivid lyre m e m b e re d by men like Johnson. Harlem H e llfig h te rs airs on The H istory Channel as part of its H isto ry A liv e Black H istory M onth presentation. The W orld Pre­ miere airs February 23 at I Opm E T/ 11 pm PT. Y o rk had a N ational Guard regi­ ment. Harlem, an emerging black c ity w ith in the city, had none. Since the R e vo lu tio n a ry War, blacks have had to overcom e d if f i­ Spanish Am erican W ar veteran. C ol. W illia m Hayward was a v ig o r­ cu lt circumstances to fig h t sim u lta ­ neously fo r their country and for equal status w ith in it The Harlem H e llfig h te rs paved the way fo r black ous supporter o f a black presence in the m ilita ry. A t first, recruiting was slow but Hayward persuaded James Am ericans to become o ffice rs w ith real duties and real authority. The Reese Europe, the most popular black band leader o f the tim e, to enlist and very name, coined by the Germans, sym bolizes black achievements and pride, and transcends the memories about what the 369th In fa n try actu­ a lly did. fo r the regim ental band Reese, in fact became the first black Am erican o ffic e r to go into combat in W orld W ar I w hen he accompanied French Church in sector held by the 369th Regiment Infrantry, 93rd Division. France. May 4, 1918. Photo by Usher / Merlis Television High points in history The H isto ry Channel presents five great stories fo r B lack H isto ry M o n th in c lu d in g Voice o f the F u ­ (February II): Veteran jo u rn a lis t g itiv e a irin g February 3 at 6:30pm E T/7:3() PT, P erspective: Ja c k ie R obinson A irin g February 11 at sional career of H a llo ! Earner. Jackie Robinson. The biography portrays Robinson as an aggressive com peti­ 6:30pm E T /7 .3 0 PT, D ig g in g f o r Slaves w h ich airs February 14 at tor w ho w on the adm iration o f p la y ­ ers and Ians a like w ith his s k ill and daring. A riv a l baseball player once commented that, “ He (R obinson) can beat you more ways than any man a liv e .” looks at the effects o f the slave trade on A f rica, at the way it decim ate the population, destroyed to social fab­ ric o f A fric a n life , and set tribes and villages against each other. The D ig g in g F o r Slaves (February 14): Unearths the realities o f slave life and discovers the contrib u tio n s that A fric a n people o f bondage made story unfolds on location all over A fric a , w ith specially shot film fes­ tivals, ceremonies and life in A f r i­ ca today, plus archive film , dram at­ to A m erican society. Narrated by D a vid D rew , the program explores ic reconstruction, docum ented eye­ witness accounts, maps and m o­ dem animated graphics. 6pm ET/7pm PT. The B u ffa lo S o l­ diers a irin g February 19 at 6pm E T/7pm and A fr ic a : The B ib le a n d the G un a irin g February 2 1 at 6pm E T/7pm PT. Five H igh Points In H isto ry ep­ isodes agree being showcased on The H isto ry Channel d u rin g B lack H istory M onth. The series explores issues o f freedom, re-enacts leg­ endary battles and p ro file s great athletes. High Points In History epi­ sodes in February include: Voice O f The F u g itiv e (F e b ru ­ a ry 3): Is the story o f a group o f escaped slaves and their passage through the "U n d e rg ro u n d R a il­ road” as the seek freedom in C an­ ada. T h is perilous route o f choice by many runaway slaves was dan­ 185,000 A frica n Am ericans were soldiers in the U S. A rm y. In fact, one o f the black troops that was created during the C iv il W ar had a banner that read: “ It is N ow O ur T urn to Prove O ur w orth as M en” The very notion o f proving their ored fo r bravery in a w ar he fought 78 years ago. T h is I 10-year-old W orld W ar I veteran was part o f the 369th Infantry, known as the "H arlem L o o k in g back to the C iv il War, even the U nion A rm y was in itia lly opposed to using black officers But as casualties m ounted and blacks demanded a role, that changed By the tim e the w a r ended, alm ost Perspectives: J a c k ie R obinson M ik e W allace examines the profes­ the f inding of archeologist immersed in the excavation o f slave site in South C a ro lin a and V irg in ia . The w ork reveals some surprising in fo r­ m ation and brings about a reap­ praisal o l the black c o n trib u tio n to w hite society. Is the S tory o f the 9th and 19th Regiments o f the U nited States C a l­ vary. F rom 1897 u ntil they were gerous under the best circum stanc­ disbanded, these tw o Regiments o f the United StatesCalvary. From 1897 es. The program also h ig h lig h ts u n til they were disbanded, these tw o people who along the way assist the fu gitives w ith food, shelter and funds. regim ents amassed some o f the most distin g uish e d u n it and in d iv id u a l records in the U S. A rm y . The B u f- plishments, the American Expedition­ ary Force decreed that all black units must have either an all-black or an a ll- white o ffice r corps Captain fames Reese Europe was the sole exception, w inning a dispensation that allowed him to lead his band. The Harlem H ellfighters had less training than any other Am erican unit, but they were no less piepared. No member o f the 369th was ever captured. It was the first black A m e r­ ican un it to go into combat in the Great W ar They were the o n ly unit to serve 191 days at the fro n t—the longest service o fa n y American unit- -black o r w hite. A m a zin g ly, they fought e xclu sive ly under French command. The Harlem H ellfighters never served in an A m eiican brigade o r division. The H istory Channel is a 24-hour television netw ork featuring h isto ri­ cal documentaries, movies and m in i­ series. Launched on January I, 1995, the netw ork showcases W orld Pre­ miere productions and co-produc­ tions from around the w orld, jo in e d by q u a lity acquisitions and an in ­ house lib ra ry o f historical docum en­ soldiers on a n ighttim e raid o f G er­ taries, ensuring that The H isto ry Channel is Where The Past Comes A live . man trenches In spite of the regim ent’ s accom­ V is it us on the W orld W ide Web at http ://w w w .h isto rych a n n e l.com . Moore at The History Channel LaDebra L M oore is M anager o f P ublic R elations o f The H isto ry Channel The H isto ry C hannel is fa lo Soldiers were a h ig h ly d is c i­ p lin e d group and no fig h tin g men in the w o rld could excel them fo r in itia tiv e and bravery in the face o f part o f A & E T elevision N etw orks, a jo in t venture o f The Hearst C orpora tion, A B C , Inc , and N B C . the most daunting odds. A fr ic a : The B ib le <& The G u n (F e b ru a ry 21): The docum entary As manager o f P ublic R elations, Ms. M oore is responsible fo r con­ sumer and trade p u b lic ity , corporate image and p ro m o tio n o f p u b lic a f­ fairs fo r The H isto ry Channel. Previously, Ms. M oore was Pub­ licist, where her p rim a ry responsi­ b ility was to create, develop and im plem ent p u b lic ity and corporate com m unications strategies fo r the January I, 1995 launch and ro llo u t o f the H isto ry Channel, a 24 hour cable service. The advertising-sup- ported netw ork features historical docum entaries, m ovies and m in i­ series. The H is to ry C hannel is a 24 hour television ne tw o rk featuring historical docum entaries, movies and m ini-series. B efore jo in in g The H isto ry Chan­ nel in Decem ber 1993, M s M oore Launched on January I, 1995, was a R adio/Television P ublicist for W N Y C C o m m u n ica tio n s G roup, new Y o rk , N Y . There she was re­ sponsible fo r press relations, pla n ­ ning and im p le m e n tin g co m m u n ity outreach campaigns, special events and prom otions, and layout and de­ sign o f m arketing m aterials Ms M oore graduated f rom Purdue U n ive rsity, West Lafayette, Indiana w ith a B achelor o f A rts Degree in C om m unications. She is also a re ­ the netw ork showcases W o rld Pre­ miere productions and co -p ro d u c­ tions fro m around the w o rld , jo in e d by q u a lity acquisitions and an in ­ house lib ra ry o f h isto rica l docu­ m entaries, ensuring that The H is ­ to ry C hannel is W here The Past Comes A liv e . V is it The H isto ry Channel on the W o rld W ide W eb at h ttp ://w w .h is to ry c h a n n e l.c o m m . cip ie n t o f the 1993-1994 W a lte r The African Burial Qround: A n American Discovery The H isto ry Channel presents the rican B u ria l G round: A n A m erican C ity , fro m the a rriv a l o f a trader true story o f free and enslaved A f r i­ can americans in early N ew Y o rk C ity... February 4-7 at 8 am E T/5am PT Rebroadcast on February 8. 15. D iscovery tells the dram atic story of named Jan R odríguez in 1613 until July 4, 1827 - N ew Y o rk C ity ’ s 22, and M arch I at 8 am E T/5 am PT New Y o rk , January 13, 1997 - Americans confront their painf ul past in The A fric a n B u ria l G round: A n A m erican D iscovery, an o rig in a l m ini-series a irin g on The H isto ry Channel this N ovem ber. T e llin g the true and tim e ly story o f low er M a n ­ hattan’ s A fric a n B u ria l G round, re­ cently unearthed in an archaeologi­ cal dig, this fo u r=p a rt docum entary covers the burial g ro u n d ’ s d isco v­ ery, relates the history o f A fric a n Am ericans in early N ew Y o rk, w it­ nesses how modern-day citizens are changing governm ent han d lin g o f the area, and delves in to the d isco v­ e r y ’ s m e a n in g fo r m o d e rn -d a y A m erican This special presentation airs on H isto ry Showcase, the net­ w o rk ’ s forum fo r local film s about culture, c o m m u n ity and tra d itio n , on February 4-7 at 8 am E T/5 am PT N arrated by a ccla im e d actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dec, The A f- a people whose history was not re­ corded or preserved, the A fric a n A m ericans that liv e d in the New w o rld as tar back as 2(XJ years bef ore the creation o f the U nited States and helped to b u ild the new nation. Near­ ly one out of five colonial N ew Y o rk ­ ers was A fric a n A m erican, most o f them enslaved - but u n til the 1991 discovery o f the burial ground deep beneath M anhattan's streets, h isto ­ rians knew little o f the way they live d and died. U sing period maps and draw ings, s till photos and film footage o f the excavation, and local news clips spot­ lig h tin g the discovery, The A fric a n B u ria l G round A n A m erican D is ­ covery unfolds in four parts. Part One, The Search, explores the search fo r and discovery o f the A fric a n B u ria l G round T h is pro­ gram exam ines the archaeological d ig that unearthed the rem ains o f sotne 4(X) A fric a n men. wom en and ch ild re n . Part T w o , A H isto ry, presents the never-before-told story o f A fricans and A frican-A m ericans in New York K a itz F o u n d a tio n F e llo w s h ip in C able Management Program . LaDebra L. Moore. Manager o f Pubic Relations. The History Channel Do You Have a Dream of an America Without Drug Abuse? E m ancipation Day. D utch settlers enslaved A fric a n Am ericans to w ork the farms around lo w e r Manhattan and b u ild its roads, houses, bridges and forts. Part three. P o litic s and the Peo­ ple, shows how ordinary citizens clashed w ith U S governm ent agen­ cies o ver the handling of the burial ground, this im portant c iv ic s lesson proves that people w o rk in g together can change the course o f history. Part Four, A n Open W in d o w , ex­ plores the long-range im pact o f the A fric a n B u ria l G round on art, lite r­ ature, history, science and education in the U nited States. - / r zzzr’ i Z/' zzzz ' /