The legendary artistic director, choreographer and dancer reminisces about listening to B.B. King back when he and his parents pulled potatoes as migrant workers; discovering Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez at college; and sharing Barbra Streisand recordings with his late partner, Arnie Zane, with whom he founded the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

Maya Angelou celebrates Black History Month by hosting a special program on public radio. Special guests include Chris Rock, Lee Daniels, Common and Cornel West.

A musical portrait of the wife of late Congressman Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Julliard-trained pianist who performed in the most prestigious concert halls in the world. Known as the “darling of Café Society,” Hazel Scott became a trailblazer in Hollywood; an outspoken civil rights activist which made her a political target; and ultimately, an outcast, ostracized by the Church community because of her music.

A new documentary about the fight for equal rights on America's roads and transit lines. Many African American communities were bulldozed in the 1960s to make way for highways. Today, bus service to poor neighborhoods is cut in favor of more expensive rail. This collaborative reporting project from Transportation Nation and WNYC visits communities across America where people of color still struggle for equal treatment in public transportation.

WNYC honors Black History Month throughout February with special programming.

WNYC celebrates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

From the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, WNYC's John Schaefer hosts Paul Winter's unique exploration of the solstice tradition in cultures near and far. Paul Winter is joined by musicians from all over the world, including Russia's Dimitri Pokrovsky Ensemble and gospel singer Theresa Thomasson.

Vermont Public Radio examines the last decade of significant change in marriage rights for same-sex couples including the politics legalities and advocacy efforts in various states, with particular attention to Vermont, Massachusetts, California, Iowa and Maine.

This hour-long celebration of the American holiday songbook features nearly 30 rare and unusual tracks culled from Michael Feinstein’s personal collection of 20,000 recordings, including rare performances by Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Louis Prima, and Donny Hathaway.

Check out the entire schedule of special holiday programming on WNYC.

On this perennial NPR favorite, Hanukkah stories and memoirs, written by acclaimed authors expressly for Hanukkah Lights, are read by NPR's Susan Stamberg and Murray Horwitz.  Hanukkah Lights celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with four brand new works:  "Finding Golda" by Margot Singer, "Legacy" by  Lev Raphael," "Geek Week" by Rebecca O'Connell, and "Moon Landing," by Shira Nayman.

The Third Coast International Audio Festival brings the best new documentaries produced worldwide to the national airwaves in a special two-hour program, Best of the Best: The 2010 Third Coast Festival Broadcast.The featured documentaries, all winners of the 10th annual TC / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition, demonstrate just how powerful radio can be. Innovative and insightful, the stories will engage, provoke, entertain, and transport listeners, proving that all you need to discover new worlds is...a little box and an antenna.

Host Larry Josephson, a secular Jew who wants to know more about the religion of his grandparents, asks simple questions of Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor Emeritus of the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Schorsch talks about the history, liturgy and meaning in our time of these ancient holidays, in ways that are accessible but sophisticated and historically accurate. The conversation is illustrated and elevated with music of the High Holidays.

What's it like for people in low-paying full-time jobs, with no savings, behind on their bills, sometimes lining up at food pantries, even shelters? In this Human Media documentary, we explore the lives of the working poor with the tale of a single mom, raising five children, working two jobs, who got sick trying to advance her education, and the story of a full-time worker in his sixties who has no savings.

To protect the public from sexual violence, the U.S. has enacted get-tough laws targeting released sex offenders. Many were inspired by high-profile cases in which children were raped and killed by strangers, a heinous albeit rare crime. Since 2006, we’ve interviewed leading experts and victims’ advocates about the impact of these laws. 

Symphony Space's 29th annual celebration of James Joyce's Ulysses will be Web cast live on WNYC.org at 7 p.m., Wednesday June 16. A radio broadcast will join the event in progress beginning at 8 p.m. on 93.9 FM.

In honor of Passover, WNYC presents “Why This Night?” A Passover Special.

Larry Josephson, a secular Jew who now wants to know more about the religion of his grandparents, asks Rabbi Ismar Schorsch, Chancellor of the Jewish Theological Seminary, to explain the meaning of Passover. Dr. Schorsch tells Larry the story ...

We be american keloids
battle scarred and beautiful
ghetto butterflies earn their stripes
walked through the valley of colossal contempt
shadow boxing in puddles of tears
dodging bullets seen and unseen
survivor ain't no TV show
shorties be wildin' tho
survivin' sins ...

Nationwide, suburban schools are doing a good job educating white students but are not getting the same results with black and Latino students. This weekend, WNYC will air a documentary about one New Jersey high school struggling to close the minority achievement gap. "Mind the Gap" will air Saturday, October ...