Getty Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution is on the History Channel tonight, Wednesday, February 19 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. The one-hour documentary from Executive Producer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar honors African Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream of Black Patriots on your computer, phone, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV or other streaming device via one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming subscription services:
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Philo TV
The History Channel is included in Philo’s main 58-channel bundle, which is the cheapest among all streaming services if you plan on keeping it long-term. It also comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for Philo, and you can then watch Black Patriots live on your computer via the Philo website, or on your phone (iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or or other supported device via the Philo app.
If you can’t watch live, Philo also allows you to DVR programs and watch them up to 30 days later. And even if you forget to DVR something, Philo also comes with a 72-hour rewind feature, which allows you to replay shows that have aired in the last three days.
FuboTV
The History Channel is one of 95-plus live TV channels included in the main FuboTV bundle, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can then watch a live stream of Black Patriots on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast or other supported device via the FuboTV app.
If you can’t watch live, FuboTV comes with 30 hours of Cloud DVR (with the ability to upgrade to 500 hours), as well as a “72-Hour Lookback” feature, which allows you to watch shows up to three days after they air (and sometimes longer) even if you don’t record them.
Hulu With Live TV
The History Channel is included in Hulu With Live TV, which comes with 60-plus live TV channels and Hulu’s extensive on-demand library of TV shows and movies:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch a live stream of Black Patriots on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone (Android and iPhone supported), tablet, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Echo Show or other streaming device via the Hulu app.
If you can’t watch live, “Hulu with Live TV” comes with both its extensive on-demand library (which will have Black Patriots available after it airs) and 50 hours of Cloud DVR storage (with the ability to upgrade to “Enhanced Cloud DVR,” which gives you 200 hours of DVR space and the ability to fast forward through commercials).
‘Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution’ Preview
Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution was produced by NBA legend, best-selling author and activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. From the beginning of the revolution in Boston to the Siege of Yorktown and more, Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution is a thorough review of the African American experience during the Revolutionary War. The documentary tells the story of the war within the revolution from the perspective of the most significant African American forefathers including Crispus Attucks, Peter Salem, Phillis Wheatley and James Armistead Lafayette.
“Since retiring from the NBA, I’ve been writing books and articles to bring awareness to the public of the many overlooked African Americans in history who have contributed so much to American society. Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution chronicles the surprising, crucial, and often ignored role the black people played in the creation of our country,” said Abdul-Jabbar in a press release. “Here’s something we never learned in school: George Washington said that African Americans were pivotal to winning the Revolutionary War. From soldiers to spies to poets, black people were as much the founders of America as those who signed the Declaration of Independence.”
“History [Channel] is dedicated to telling compelling, significant stories of individuals that have made an immense impact on the world,” said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President and General Manager for History in a press release. “We are honored to partner with Kareem on this project he is deeply passionate about, and to honor the legacy and commemorate the sacrifices these individuals made in fighting for both their country and their freedom. Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution will educate our viewers about a group of people whose stories are seldom told and whose unrelenting bravery is rarely recognized.”
He told CBS This Morning on February 10 what specifics drew him to the documentary: “I think just living in the part of Manhattan that I was raised in, it was the last part that George Washington held on to before he had to skedaddle down to Valley Forge and I realized that happened in my neighborhood. Wow! It kind of has always drawn me in. There’s an old Dutch farmhouse on Broadway and 203rd Street. That gentleman that owned that farmhouse had slaves.”
Co-host Gayle King told CBS This Morning about one comment Abdul-Jabbar makes in the film: “We could not have won the Revolutionary War without the contribution of black Americans, and success in the war would come to whoever armed blacks the fastest.”
“Why did you feel it was so important to tell these stories you were not seeing in history books?” asked CBS This Morning co-host Tony Dokoupil.
Telling these American stories is important, he said, because “black kids are raised without understanding that this is their country. They think this country was established for people other than them, and that they are seen as marginal, and of no use.”
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How to Watch Black Patriots Documentary Online Without Cable