Experience the groundbreaking sounds of bebop pioneer, virtuoso percussionist and bandleader Max Roach.
Roach’s far-reaching ambitions were inspired and challenged by the inequities of the society around him. His political consciousness, expressed in his groundbreaking Freedom Suite and other works, made him a fierce advocate for change at a time when the nation was steeped in racism.
Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes premieres Friday, October 6 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), pbs.org/americanmasters and the PBS App.
American Masters shares the stories of political “Thought Leaders” with new documentaries on PBS.
As the U.S. enters a new election cycle, examine the lives and legacies of political changemakers.
Political discourse in the United States is shaped by audacious ideas of what a society should be. But who are the influencers and disrupters of American political thought that have paved the way for the systems that we currently have—and those still to come? Beginning in September 2023, American Masters seeks to answer this question with Thought Leaders, a collection of documentaries spotlighting key figures in American politics, law and music.
“’How did we get here?’ is a question we are all asking ourselves these days, and it is a complicated one,” said Michael Kantor, Executive Producer of American Masters. “By examining the origins and accomplishments of these thought leaders who share such different perspectives, American Masters aims to add crucial context and nuance to what we’re seeing in today’s political arena.”
