(hat tip: Bookerrising)

 
To illuminate the experiences of blacks in the United States’ armed forces, this PBS special - which airs in two parts starting Monday, February 1 (check your local listings) - serves up history, from as far back as the Revolutionary War to the conflict in Afghanistan. Introduced by General Colin Powell and hosted by actress Halle Berry, the film uses letters, diaries, speeches, journalistic accounts, historical text and military records to document the sacrifices made by African-American military personnel. It also includes readings by a wide variety of actors, such as Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby, Susan Sarandon, Lou Gossett Jr., John Travolta, the late Ossie Davis, John Goodman, Danny Glover, Sam Elliot and Delroy Lindo.