Historically black colleges and universities are facing new challenges to their resources, and administrators all over the state are working hard to strengthen their schools for the future. Deborah sits with Dr. Corey Walker of Winston-Salem State University and Edith Bartley of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund to discuss what HBCUs are doing to better serve their students and communities.

This week, Deborah heads to Rocky Mount to learn about the predominantly female African-American medical team at the Opportunities Industrialization Center - the OIC - a multi-purpose resource center that focuses on health. These doctors, nurses, and dentists are working to both improve health disparities in Eastern NC and to educate their patients about the virtues of medicine and health care.

A look back at the gowns of black dressmaker Willie Otey Kay who created a small but self-sustaining family enterprise designing one-of-a-kind gowns for Raleigh’s elite, then a visit with entrepreneur James Murchison of Raleigh and a fashion design and merchandising student Wes Rowe who will show off their designs and talk about their efforts to build their careers in the fashion industry.

The concept of "home" can mean so many different things, and artists in particular choose to express their feelings towards their homes in various ways. Deborah sits down with filmmakers and artists Hope Azeda, Naimah Fuller, and Destini Riley to figure out just how these creative women show their audiences the role that their homes play in their everyday lives.

Inspired by the casting of Latina actress Zoe Saldana to play Nina Simone, the performer and activist known for her pride in her dark skin, Deborah chats with professor Dr. Yaba Blay, filmmaker Eric Barstow, and undergraduate student Ayana Thompson to delve into why so many people still knowingly and unknowingly participate in colorism - the assertion that light is better.

We have a special treat for you this week! We are all about the Art of Cool Festival in Durham for this program, and Deborah sits down with co-founders Cicely Mitchell and Al Strong to learn what makes this gathering so popular. Plus, Al Strong and his bandmates gear up for not one but two amazing song performances, recorded at UNC-TV's studio. Join us as we get our groove on!

For the first time on public television, Independent Lens presents The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, a dynamic film about the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party that has garnered reviews as divided as the organization itself. Find out why as host Deborah Holt Noel sits down with the film’s award-winning producer Laurens Grant on the campus of Winston-Salem State University.

Deborah sits down with Mickey Fearn, Professor of Practice in the School of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University; Marilynn Marsh-Robinson, Partnership and Alliances Manager with the Environmental Defense Fund; and Thomas Easley, a Professor at NCSU, all experts in environmental justice and the importance of going outside and enjoying nature for African-Americans.

Host Deborah Holt Noel interviews race and higher education scholar Dr. Shaun Harper, Founder of the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania live at the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture at Duke University. Harper shares insights on recent college campus protests and public school education and charter schools in North Carolina.

Many activists in North Carolina argue that the criminal record box on job applications should be abolished. Rep. Garland Pierce of District 48 in the North Carolina House of Representatives, Umar Muhammad with the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and Daniel Bowes with the North Carolina Justice Center address some of the questions around how this move can help and where the risks lie.