The Total Black Experience
A History of Television's Positively Black

Ronald Bishop (Author)

9781978836952

Hardback, published 12 May 2026

242 pages, 5 B-W images
23.5 x 15.6 x 2 cm, 0.481 kg

"The Total Black Experience evokes the sense of urgency and commitment among Black activists and journalists who launched the innovative and foundational Positively Black in 1970. But Ron Bishop's fascinating account, rooted in invaluable oral histories and rich context, stretches beyond the crucible of civil rights and Black Power, offering a lens into a half-century of Black history and a nuanced analysis of media representation and social change. It is a critical source for readers interested in journalism and media, history, and activism." - Julia Rabig, author of The Fixers: Devolution, Development, and Civil Society in Newark, 1960–1990

The Total Black Experience is the first book to chronicle the history and social significance of Positively Black, one of the longest-running public affairs shows in the history of television. Spurred on by the findings of the Kerner Commission, executives at WNBC-TV greenlit the show and turned production over to a small but dedicated team of storytellers who quickly made it their mission to carve out a space for serious and nuanced discussion of issues important to the Black community and to celebrate all aspects of Black culture. They believed that accurate representation of their experiences was a right, not a privilege. The show's first cohosts included the well-known Harlem-based activist Rev. Eugene Callender and Gus Heningburg, activist, successful consultant and mediator, and advocate for organized labor. Callender had founded Harlem Prep to equip young Black people for college, while Heningburg played a key role in stabilizing life in Newark following the rebellion there in the late 1960s. Both were adept at using the media to reach their constituencies. Combining in-depth interviews with painstaking archival research, The Total Black Experience introduces readers to key members of the Positively Black production team and analyzes thematic shifts in the show's content. The book celebrates Positively Black's longevity and challenges readers to explore the current state of Black representation on television.

Introduction 1
1 The Last Word 15
2 Episode 1 36
3 Being the Church 55
4 At the Head of the Table 70
5 The Guiding Light 86
6 It's OK to Be Black, to Say Black 95
7 Piecing It Together 113
8 We Are Not There Yet 125
9 Bringing Us Current 146
10 Positively Black Today 163
Acknowledgments 173
Notes 175
Bibliography 205
Index 000