Gospel pioneer Mahalia Jackson. (Courtesy of “Gospel” docuseries)

Historian, professor and filmmaker Henry Louis Gates Jr. explores the history of gospel music and its deep roots in Chicago.

Danny Sotomayor was an AIDS activist and the first openly gay nationally syndicated political cartoonist. (Lisa Howe-Ebright)

The late Chicago AIDS activist Danny Sotomayor didn’t just open doors at City Hall. He was also a political cartoonist and an organizer who used civil disobedience to wage war on city officials marginalizing the LGBTQ+ community.

(Courtesy of “The League” / Byron Motley)

While modern pro baseball draws its players from all over the globe, America’s pastime wasn’t always so diverse. The new documentary “The League” gives an in-depth look at how Black baseball players and the Negro Leagues forever changed the game.

(Courtesy of "Tomorrow's Hope")

Amid the chaos that characterized the last decades of the Robert Taylor Homes in Bronzeville, an ambitious early education program helped the children who lived there flourish.

On Monday night, the final installment of “Surviving R. Kelly” began airing on Lifetime. R. Kelly, (C), here appears at a hearing in 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Getty Images)
,

“Surviving R. Kelly Part III: The Final Chapter” is a two-part look at the legal fallout Kelly has faced. 

(Courtesy of Steven Walsh)

Through interviews with his grandfather and others who lived through the neighborhood’s rise and fall, filmmaker Steven Walsh shows what he says is the forgotten story of the area in his documentary “Southeast: a City Within a City.”

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month — a time professionals and community voices raise awareness of this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. A new film explores powerful stories of those impacted by suicide and takes viewers to the front lines of research with scientists whose work is leading to better prevention and treatment. 

Naperville resident Scott Potter was a filmmaker who dedicated his craft to highlighting underrepresented stories. (Courtesy of Sarah Potter)
,

After the sudden, unexpected death of her husband, Scott, Naperville resident Sarah Potter has made it her mission to complete his documentary about a rare but serious neurologic condition that can cause paralysis while also exploring her own loss and a future she never imagined.

Muhammad Ali talks with the press after winning back the Heavyweight Championship for an unprecedented third time by beating Leon Spinks at the Super Dome in New Orleans, LA. Sept. 15, 1978. (Courtesy of Michael Gaffney)

At an early age he identified himself as “The Greatest” and backed up his words inside and out of the boxing ring. Filmmaker Ken Burns joins “Black Voices” to discuss the sweeping new four-part documentary “Muhammad Ali.”

On Sunday, PBS airs part one of a sweeping new four-part documentary on the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali. (PBS / Florentine Films)

He was bigger than boxing and larger than life — a true icon of the 20th century. Filmmaker Ken Burns and Donald Lassere of the Chicago History Museum join us to discuss the sweeping new four-part documentary on the life and legacy of Muhammad Ali.

Gary Laughlin handles specimens at the McCrone Research Institute in Bronzeville, founded in 1960 by Walter McCrone. (WTTW News)

Walter McCrone championed the light microscope — and used it to analyze art world treasures and frauds. The late scientist is featured in the recently released Netflix documentary series “This Is a Robbery” and appeared years ago on WTTW’s “The New Explorers.”

Mister Kelly's, which operated from 1953 to 1975, is the subject of a new film unpacking its star-studded rosters and broader impact. (WTTW News)

The Chicago nightclub helped launch the early careers of music and comedy acts like Barbra Streisand and Richard Pryor, while achieving status from established jazz artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn, who both recorded live albums at the Rush Street venue.

An image taken from the WTTW documentary “Ida B. Wells: A Chicago Stories Special.” (Courtesy WTTW)

Journalist and activist Ida B. Wells took great risks to expose the horrors of racism and fight injustice through her investigative writings. Wells’ life and groundbreaking work are the subject of a new WTTW Chicago Stories documentary airing Friday.

A still image of Ernest Hemingway from the new Ken Burns and Lynn Novick PBS documentary “Hemingway.” (Courtesy of PBS)

The life of the Oak Park native is the subject of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s newest PBS documentary. The six-hour, three-part series explores the writer’s complex life behind the carefully cultivated public image as well as his influence on generations of writers who followed him.

“Chicago Tonight” co-anchor Brandis Friedman is among those interviewed in the new WTTW documentary “Making Sense of 2020.” (WTTW News)

Premiering Tuesday, a new documentary from WTTW senior producer Daniel Andries analyzes how reporters, producers and staff at WTTW News adapted to report the story of a year unlike any other.

Michael Jordan addresses reporters in Paris on January 24, 2020. (Franck Fife / AFP / Getty Images)

“The Last Dance” was filled with hot dishes about Michael Jordan’s time with the six-time champion Chicago Bulls. Now, some proceeds from the Emmy-winning documentary will go toward hot dishes for the nation’s hungry.