How Black Washingtonians Used Public TV to Report on Social Justice Issues
The media landscape has long been a battleground for representation, and in Washington state, Black communities found public television to be an invaluable platform for reporting on social justice issues. Unlike commercial broadcasters, public TV stations were more likely to serve as vehicles for marginalized communities to tell their stories, challenge mainstream narratives, and highlight local concerns about civil rights, police brutality, housing discrimination, and cultural preservation. The public nature of these airwaves allowed for deeper engagement with viewers, as they were not constrained by commercial pressures and advertising influences.
From the early days of public television to the current digital era, Black Washingtonians have leveraged this medium to raise awareness of systemic injustice, fight for policy changes, and create spaces for Black culture to thrive. Shows like Focus: Black Perspectives and The Black Prism were significant platforms where Black voices were not only heard but celebrated. These shows offered programming that reported on critical social justice issues in ways mainstream media often overlooked.
Public Television as a Tool for Change
In the 1960s and 1970s, the emergence of public television offered Black communities in Washington state a powerful tool to engage in public discourse. This was during a period marked by the Civil Rights Movement, urban uprisings, and growing awareness of systemic racism in the United States. Many mainstream outlets continued to marginalize or misrepresent Black perspectives, so public TV became a crucial outlet for airing grievances, documenting local history, and spotlighting ongoing struggles for equality.
In Washington, stations such as KCTS 9 in Seattle and KBTC in Tacoma became hubs for community engagement and discourse, providing a counter-narrative to the often hostile or indifferent reporting by mainstream outlets. These stations produced and aired shows that spotlighted local Black leaders, artists, activists, and organizations, offering viewers insight into both the challenges faced by the Black community and the resilience shown in their fight for justice.
Key Shows and Stations: Public TV’s Role in Elevating Black Voices
1. Focus: Black Perspectives (KCTS 9, Seattle)
One of the most significant shows to emerge from Seattle’s public television scene was Focus: Black Perspectives, which aired on KCTS 9, the city’s PBS station. The program, which ran during the 1970s and 1980s, focused on contemporary issues affecting Seattle’s Black communities. The show was known for its in-depth interviews with local Black leaders and scholars, tackling topics such as housing discrimination, police misconduct, education reform, and political empowerment.
Seattle’s historically Black neighborhoods, like the Central District, were undergoing rapid change during this period, and Focus: Black Perspectives highlighted the struggle against gentrification, displacement, and racial inequality. One particularly notable episode dealt with redlining practices in Seattle and how they had trapped many Black residents in economically disadvantaged areas. The episode brought on housing advocates, legal experts, and residents who were actively organizing for fair housing policies, giving voice to a movement largely ignored by the city’s commercial media outlets.
2. The Black Prism (KBTC, Tacoma)
Across the water in Tacoma, KBTC aired The Black Prism, a community-centered show dedicated to discussing Black culture and politics in the context of the Pacific Northwest. Unlike the bigger Seattle media market, Tacoma’s Black community had fewer platforms for public discourse, making The Black Prism a crucial space for raising awareness about local and national social justice movements.
The show, which aired in the late 1970s and 1980s, was deeply engaged in exploring the Black Power Movement, civil rights activism, and the struggles faced by Black youth in Tacoma’s public schools. Episodes often featured local activists, including members of the Black Panther Party and educators who were pushing for more inclusive curricula in Washington state’s public schools. The Black Prism also provided in-depth coverage of cultural events, such as Kwanzaa celebrations and Black arts festivals, highlighting the importance of cultural preservation alongside political activism.
One of the standout moments from The Black Prism was a special report on police brutality in Tacoma, which featured interviews with victims of police violence, civil rights attorneys, and local activists demanding police reform. This episode resonated with viewers, as it provided a rare and candid examination of police-community relations, a topic largely ignored by the mainstream press at the time.
3. Colors of Success (KCTS 9, Seattle)
As Seattle’s Black population grew in the 1980s and 1990s, so too did the desire for more representative media programming. Colors of Success was a show that emerged out of this need. Airing on KCTS 9, this program highlighted successful Black entrepreneurs, educators, artists, and community leaders in the Pacific Northwest. While the show celebrated Black achievements, it also delved into the systemic barriers that these individuals faced in a predominantly white state like Washington.
One notable episode featured interviews with Black women business owners who shared their struggles with racism in the business world and the innovative ways they overcame those challenges. The show not only uplifted these entrepreneurs but also served as a form of advocacy, shedding light on the specific obstacles Black people faced in the workforce. In doing so, it offered practical advice for aspiring Black business owners and helped build solidarity among viewers.
4. Community Speaks (Public Access Television)
Public access television, with its hyper-local focus, provided another vital avenue for Black Washingtonians to report on social justice issues. In Seattle and Tacoma, public access channels such as SCAN TV allowed local residents to produce and air their own programs, offering a grassroots alternative to larger public TV stations.
One such show was Community Speaks, a long-running public access program that focused on social justice issues in Washington’s Black communities. Community Speaks allowed local activists and organizers to control the narrative, producing content that highlighted issues such as voter suppression, economic inequality, and the challenges of navigating a majority-white political and educational system. The show was particularly notable for its open-mic format, allowing everyday residents to call in and share their perspectives on pressing social justice concerns.
The flexibility and accessibility of public access television meant that shows like Community Speaks could cover topics in real-time, offering a rapid response to political developments, local protests, and community events. This made it an essential platform for grassroots organizing, as local activists could promote rallies, marches, and educational forums through the show.
Local Collaborations and Black-Owned Media
In addition to these flagship programs, Washington’s Black community also made strategic use of collaborations with Black-owned newspapers and radio stations to extend their reach. Shows on public television would often be promoted through outlets like The Seattle Medium and KYAC Radio, allowing for cross-platform promotion and engagement.
For example, Focus: Black Perspectives often featured stories that had been covered in The Seattle Medium, ensuring that important issues received coverage both in print and on television. Similarly, KBTC’s The Black Prism collaborated with local Black radio stations to host roundtable discussions that aired both on TV and over the radio waves. This multimedia approach allowed Washington’s Black community to reach a diverse and wide-ranging audience, increasing the impact of their reporting.
Shifting to the Digital Era
As public television evolved into the digital era, so too did the ways in which Black Washingtonians used these platforms. Shows like Check Your Attitude and Seattle Now & Then on KCTS 9 pivoted to include online streaming, YouTube, and social media to reach younger, tech-savvy audiences. These digital platforms made it easier for Black communities in Washington to continue using public media to report on social justice issues, especially in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and growing concerns over police brutality in the 2010s.
KCTS 9 also began to integrate more community-generated content into its broadcasts, encouraging Black residents to submit videos, stories, and reports for airing. In this way, public TV became even more democratized, providing a crucial link between traditional broadcast media and modern digital activism.
One recent initiative is Voices of Pacific Northwest, an online series launched by KCTS 9 that features short documentaries on the lives of Black activists and organizers in Seattle, Tacoma, and surrounding areas. The series not only preserves the legacy of the older public TV shows but also expands on them, focusing on new generations of Black activists who are pushing for police accountability, affordable housing, and educational equity.
Conclusion
Public television has played an indispensable role in Washington state’s Black communities by providing a platform for underrepresented voices and offering an alternative to the often hostile or indifferent reporting by commercial media. Shows like Focus: Black Perspectives, The Black Prism, and Colors of Success were more than just television programs; they were tools of resistance, advocacy, and cultural preservation. Through these programs, Black Washingtonians were able to document their struggles, celebrate their victories, and keep their communities informed about ongoing social justice issues.
As public television continues to evolve, it remains a powerful tool for marginalized communities to claim space in the media landscape. Whether through traditional broadcasting or digital platforms, Washington’s Black communities will likely continue to use public TV as a means of telling their stories, advocating for justice, and shaping the social and political discourse in their state. The legacy of public television in empowering these communities endures as a testament to the importance of media representation and the role of public media in fostering a more just and equitable society.