June Virtual Displays

In Haiti, there is one band that has seen it all: Septentrional. For six decades this 20 piece band has been making beautiful music—a fusion of Cuban big band and Haitian vodou beats—that turns out thousands of fans each time it plays. Led by 80- year-old leader, “Maestro” Ulrick Pierre Louis, its trumpeters, drummers, sax players and guitarists have been making music through dictatorships, natural disasters, coup d’états, and chaos, navigating the glory and the tragedy that is Haiti’s history. They embody a particular Haitian trait—the ability to find beauty in places of darkness—which has helped Haitians survive in a place where nothing seems permanent except poverty and want. As they now face the earthquake that killed almost 300,000 in January 2010, they have to find the strength to go on. This film contains disturbing images.

Cuban America explores the continuing Cuban-American story as a concentrated exile group's impact on transforming the sleepy tourist town of Miami into a major metropolitan community. A detailed look into the complex experience of Cuban-Americans: who they are, how they came to be, where they came from, where they are going, what they did, and, more importantly, how they are portrayed.

The beautiful Caribbean islands of Antigua & Barbuda tell a story of hospitality and culture. With music as our guide, we follow the trail across the islands to find the heartbeat of the country through its rhythms. Along the way, we get a taste of the amazing cuisines, the vibrant countryside, and the stunning oceans. From the sounds of calypso to the carnival celebrations, the pulse of Antigua & Barbuda is calling.

Dominican Republic and other Caribbean Islands worshipped a female deity. When differences arose the Taino people would play a game to settle the matter. Columbus documented how he monetized the culture and utilized the Doctrine of Discovery to claim the lands for Spain.

Hip hop culture has infiltrated every aspect of American life but back in 1970's New York, two topics defined the era: disco music and crime. Over in the Bronx, 16-year-old Jamaican immigrant Clive Campbell (aka. DJ Kool Herc) wasn’t a fan of either. This is the story of how DJ Kool Herc made New York the birthplace of hip hop.

The U.S. took possession of the island in 1898. Puerto Ricans received citizenship but not full constitutional rights. A 1970s tax break sparked an economic boom, but it was phased out in 1996, leading to recession. The government began borrowing to cover deficits. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

Shirley Chisholm came from poor immigrants and grew up partly in Barbados. As the first black woman in Congress, she struggled to gain acceptance as an equal among lawmakers. She fought for women’s rights, against the Vietnam War, and for the alleviation of poverty. Distributed by PBS Distribution.