Louisiana public TV highlights Southern University’s jazz program

LOUISIANA (KTAL/KMSS) — Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB) is participating in the national HBCU Week NOW programming initiative led by Maryland Public Television (MPT).

LPB is producing a new short film on the history of Southern University’s jazz program, Bayou Magic: Southern University’s Alvin Batiste Jazz Institute, one of eight new short films premiering on the project’s YouTube channel, HBCU Week NOW, through September and November.

The films produced this year will join 10 films released over the past two years to coincide with the annual HBCU Week.

MPT, Howard University Television, PBS North Carolina, WABE (Atlanta), South Carolina ETV, Alabama Public Television, and WXXI (Rochester, N.Y.) are also participating.

The new films will showcase the Spelman College Glee Club, Miles College‘s Purple Marching Machine marching band, the North Carolina A&T State University and North Carolina Central University fashion arts programs, the Department of Theatre Arts at Howard University, and the Alvin Batiste Jazz Institute at Southern University.

MPT will debut the HBCU Week Now Student Film Festival in January 2026. The festival will feature 10 films selected from submissions by HBCU students and curated by Black Public Media.

MPT is also offering programs for broadcast by PBS stations nationwide, the centerpiece being ‘Becoming Thurgood: America’s Social Architect,’ a documentary on the life and work of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Since premiering, it has been available to stream for free at hbcuweeknow.com, PBS.org, and the PBS app. Additional information about the film and educational resources will soon be available on the film’s dedicated website.

Travis E Mitchell, MPT, Senior Vice President and Chief Content Officer, said, “With HBCU Week NOW in its third year, we have significantly expanded our storytelling footprint while continuing to celebrate Historically Black Colleges and Universities as unique and cherished national resources.”

“We are grateful for the support and collaboration of dozens of HBCUs and their students, faculty, and leadership as we continue to grow this important project.”