Stories of Black America

In the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, CBS News created a race and culture unit to ensure that its shows reflect diverse perspectives in their reporting. Harris Forbes ’19 joined the unit, which also reviews scripts of race-related segments written by other CBS News teams to make sure they provide proper context, tone and intention for the nuanced issues they present.  

“It’s cool to be a part of this group that’s on the forefront of [covering marginalized communities with cultural sensitivity],” says Forbes, who adds that the race and culture unit inspired the establishment of a similar division at CBS Sports. “We’re changing the media landscape in our own small way.” 

A prime example, he says, is the news show America in Black, for which Forbes serves as associate producer and postproduction supervisor. Produced by CBS News in partnership with BET News, the show airs monthly and covers a range of stories about Black America, from profiles of prominent movers and shakers to deep dives into the Black maternal health crisis and the fight to teach Black history in schools. 

“Chasing stories across the country is what got me into this business in the first place,” says Forbes. “I love to travel, see new places and meet new people.” 

He got to do just that while working on a profile of renowned Harvard University professor and Black history scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. First, he met Gates on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. “That was a really fun shoot with a lot of moving parts,” says Forbes, who had never visited the island. “We mounted cameras on bicycles and figured out how to get our cameraman on a bike himself.”  

Forbes also traveled to Boston and Cambridge, Mass., to meet with then-Harvard President Lawrence Bacow. There, he sat down for yet another conversation with Gates. “Gates’ office is one of the most impressive you will ever see — photos with James Baldwin and Oprah and memorabilia from a life well lived,” Forbes recalls. He also attended a lecture by Gates and participated in the Harvard Black Men’s Forum — “spaces that I was understandably never included in before doing this kind of work,” he says. “I’m immensely grateful for such opportunities.” 

The profile — more than a year in the making — finally aired in June 2023. “I know that I gave my best effort,” Forbes says. He adds that much of the credit goes to Alvin Patrick, who served as lead producer for the profile. Patrick also heads the race and culture unit and is executive producer for America in Black. “At the end of the day, we were executing Patrick’s vision,” says Forbes. “There was a real sense of accomplishment when we were done.” 

America in Black contributors also include Maurice DuBois ’87, who reported a recent profile of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and Nikole Killion ’99, ’99 MS, who covered Black women voters in the lead up to the 2024 election. 

The show premiered in February 2023 and was renewed for a second season earlier this year. All episodes are available to stream on Paramount+.