By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to the AFRO
kmcneir@afro.com
In a public media partnership that offers content about the history, legacy, cultural heritage and degree programs offered by America’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Maryland Public Television (MPT) will debut “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect.” The new documentary will explore the legacy of Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Programming for MPT’s HBCU Week will begin on Sept.8. The film on Marshall, produced by Emmy Award-winning and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and MPT Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer Travis Mitchell, will be shown locally on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 9 p.m., with a national premier taking place at 10 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS app.
Mitchell said it serves as the centerpiece of HBCU Week 2025 and in many ways allows him to illustrate the significance of an HBCU education in his own life.
“We are honored to explore the extraordinary life of Justice Thurgood Marshall, one of Maryland’s most illustrious sons, and to showcase his journey from his Baltimore childhood to his education at HBCUs, his groundbreaking legal career at the NAACP and his historic appointment to the Supreme Court,” Mitchell told the AFRO. “It’s a story of unprecedented achievement and one we know PBS viewers will find illuminating as well as inspiring.”
HBCU Week will feature a collection of original long-form and short films, live events and other HBCU-themed programming, available on the HBCU Week NOW YouTube Channel @HBCUWeekNOW and its companion Instagram page and website (hbcuweeknow.com).
Mitchell noted that viewers will be introduced to exclusive content about the HBCU experience and the benefits it has long yielded for students who matriculate in its many colleges and universities across the nation.
“We have PBS stations who are partnering with us across the country and mimicking what MPT has pioneered here in Maryland,” he said. “As for the film, what sets it apart from previous noteworthy productions is that it includes exclusive interviews with family members, leading historians and authors and legal experts who offer fresh insights into the life and extraordinary influence of the man who became known as ‘Mr. Civil Rights.’”
Director and producer of “Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect,” Alexis Aggrey, echoed Mitchell’s sentiments.
“For the first time, audiences will hear Thurgood Marshall tell his own story — in his own words,” Aggrey said. “This film is the first to center Marshall’s own voice, drawn from a rare eight-hour oral history. It’s not just a documentary; it’s a conversation with a man whose legal mind reshaped the nation and whose legacy still echoes through our justice system today.”
It is indeed a conversation of profound and historical significance, according to Mitchell, who credits his HBCU experiences for molding him into the man he is today.
“Marshall’s education at Lincoln University resulted in a shift in his mindset and view of the world,” he said. “He formed lifelong friendships with men like Kwame Nkrumah and Langston Hughes. Charles Hamilton Houston, the dean of the School of Law at Howard University, helped him continue his intellectual prowess. Marshall’s exposure there, collectively turned him into the civil rights icon for whom he is known today.
“This project was important to us because we wanted to engage a younger audience – a new generation who know little about him beyond the anecdotes shared during Black History Month and who may be unaware of the arc of his intellectual development which bears similarities to their own.”
Included in the film are interviews with Marshalls’ family members and noted officials such as Judge Robert M. Bell, former chief judge for the Maryland Court of Appeals. Comments from Dr. Brenda A. Allen, president of Lincoln University, Wil Haygood, author of the “Showdown: Thurgood Marshall and the Supreme Court Nomination That Changed America” and more are heard in the documentary.
Mitchell honors the HBCU legacy for personal reasons
Mitchell grew up on the campus of Shaw University, an HBCU located in Raleigh, North Carolina, where his parents were students and where his uncle served as a leader in the newly desegregated public school system. It was in that environment in which he said he was introduced to Black excellence.
“Black excellence was expected, promoted, and encouraged – I realized who I could be and what I was expected to do,” Mitchell said. “I took that philosophy to Morgan State University where I continued to mature. Today, I serve as the highest ranking African American at MPT – a distinction and honor that would not be possible without my HBCU experiences.
“HBCUs have trained the lion share of Black lawyers, doctors, engineers, educators – you name it. Without our HBCUs, there would be no Travis Mitchell. And in the context of this new film which we are proud to present, I submit that without HBCUs, there would be no Thurgood Marshall.”
During the week of September 8-14, MPT will offer 30 hours of content – including 12 MPT program premieres – across TV, social media and online platforms exploring the past, present, and future of HBCUs in the statewide public TV network’s viewing area and throughout the United States.
In addition to the film on Justice Marshall, other documentaries featured during the week include “Direct Connection Special: Welcome to Coppin State” and “One On One: Dr. Anthony Jenkins, Coppin State University.” The two offerings, slated for Monday night, will highlight the HBCU making change from West Baltimore under the leadership of Dr. Anthony Jenkins.
Other university presidents interviewed during the week include Dr. Heidi Anderson, president of the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (Sept. 9, 7-7:30 p.m.) and Dr. David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University (Sept. 10, 7-7:30 p.m.).
On Wednesday, “Artworks: The Art of HBCU Art” will take a look at “the talents, institutions, and creativity found at HBCUs throughout the region,” according to information released by MPT.
On Thursday, viewers will have the opportunity to hear from Dr. Aminta Breaux, Bowie State University. They can also learn about the women of the CIAA tournament with the “Inside the CIAA: Her Story” documentary.
Friday will feature a special look at the Black universities in the nation’s capital with “State Circle Special: HBCUs in Washington, D.C.” airing on Friday, September 12, 7-8 p.m.
For more information about HBCU Week offerings, visit mpt.org/hbcu. Audiences are encouraged to contribute to the conversation on social media using the hashtag #HBCUWeekNOW.
