Black Icons on American Masters

In February on WETA Metro; some films stream

Biography series American Masters presents profiles of Black cultural icons in February. Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me (Feb. 2, 8 p.m./Feb. 4, 9:30 p.m.) spotlights the famed entertainer’s vast talent and his journey for identity in 20th-century America. The film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Feb. 11, 8 p.m.) explores the powerful themes the author confronted in her literary career. Marian Anderson: The Whole World in Her Hands (Feb. 18, 8 p.m.) chronicles the life of the singer who became an icon for the Civil Rights Movement. In the film James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket (Feb. 18, 10 p.m.) the writer and civil rights activist recounts his life, works and beliefs, relating what it was like to be born Black, impoverished, gifted and gay in his era.

Independent Lens: The Picture Taker

Sat., Feb.

4 on WETA Metro; stream on the PBS App

The vibrant life of Ernest Withers was anything but black and white. He had an unlikely résumé for an African American photographer in the 1960s — soldier, police officer, civil rights activist, and paid FBI informant — but complex times spawn complicated stories. From his Memphis studio, Withers developed nearly 2 million images that came to illustrate America’s civil rights stories. But perhaps the push and pull of history is best illuminated by Withers’ lesser-known work, decades of secret FBI service uncovered only after his death. From the flashpoint of an American saga, The Picture Taker presents a tale from in front of, and behind, the camera.