April on WHUT: Stories That Honor Culture, History, and Community

From powerful documentaries to joyful celebrations of music, comedy, and faith, WHUT’s April 2026 programming centers voices, histories, and experiences that deepen understanding and uplift our community.

As spring unfolds, WHUT continues its commitment to education, service, and cultural amplification with a thoughtfully curated April schedule. This month’s programming highlights the richness of Black history, global perspectives, artistic expression, and community resilience—while offering moments of reflection, celebration, and learning for viewers across the DMV.

Honoring Leadership, Faith, and Cultural Legacy

April opens with a spotlight on leadership and women’s history, featuring Decades: When Women Lead with an encore of the episode centered on Cora Masters Barry, a trailblazing civic leader whose work continues to shape Washington, DC.

Easter Sunday brings a powerful lineup focused on faith and music, anchored by the four‐part series Gospel, led by cultural historian Henry Louis Gates, Jr., with companion programming Gospel Live! woven throughout the day 2. These programs celebrate gospel music not only as a genre, but as a living archive of Black spiritual and cultural expression.

Comedy, Music, and the Arts as Storytelling

WHUT’s April slate embraces storytelling through laughter and sound. Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo returns with an episode that explores identity and heritage through stand‐up,

Fri. 4/17 @ 10pm King of Them All: The Story of King Records chronicles the groundbreaking, integrated record label that helped launch legends like James Brown and Little Willie John.

Sun. 4/12 @ 9pm Viewers can also enjoy Next at the Kennedy Center, spotlighting Robert Glasper’s “Black Radio”, followed by DMV The Beat, which highlights local talent and connects national artistry back to our region.

History Told Through Unseen Voices

Several April programs center stories often left out of mainstream historical narratives.

Tue. 4/7@ 8pm The Real Wild West reframes the mythology of the American frontier by highlighting Black and Hispanic cowboys, women homesteaders, immigrants, and tribal leaders.

Thurs. 4/23 @ 9pm Independent Lens: Backside – The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing and Legacy of Black Horsemen examine the labor, skill, and resilience of Black and immigrant workers who shaped one of America’s most iconic sports 6.

Community, Reflection, and Global Perspective

April also marks Holocaust Remembrance Day with The Cure for Hate, a deeply reflective film about confronting extremism and choosing accountability and change 7. This airs Mon. 4/13 @ 4pm

For Earth Day, WHUT’s Sunday Special turns its focus to ecology and environmental awareness, reinforcing the station’s role in lifelong learning.

Closing out the month is the highly anticipated Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, which follows a multiracial team of divers uncovering submerged slave ships and restoring erased history through science and storytelling.

WHUT’s April programming reflects the power of public media to inform, inspire, and connect. Whether you’re tuning in for culture, history, music, or community dialogue, this month’s schedule invites viewers to engage more deeply with the stories that shape our world—and ourselves.

Watch live or stream anytime at whut.org, and join us all month long.

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