As Black people fought for full citizenship, hour one explores how free African Americans exercised their self-determination by building communities, establishing schools, and creating associations that would become the foundational pillars of Black America. Host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. explores the organizations, networks and artistic impression created by and for Black people.

Originally released by PBS, 2022. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on October 31, 2022.