Baseball laid the foundation for South Bend's growth. In the early 20th century, Black Studebaker employees formed the Foundry Giants, despite facing long shifts and segregation. The women of the South Bend Blue Sox broke barriers and inspired others to chase their dreams. Migrant farmworkers created a Mexican-American league that fostered decades of community connection and organizing. Today, investment in the South Bend Cubs fuels both the game and downtown's revitalization. Across generations, baseball has shaped the city - South Bend was, and remains, "Built by Baseball.

00:00 Introduction

01:23 Foundry Field

05:20 Industrial Leagues and the Foundry Giants

12:44 Uncle Bill's Colored Girl's Softball Team

18:33 South Bend Blue Sox

29:21 Mexican-American Baseball League

38:54 Foundry Field Revisited - Community Heritage

43:18 South Bend's Minor League Franchise

55:05 Credits

LINK:

South Bend: Built by Baseball

Screening Toolkit

Echoes of the Great Migration: Family Stories of Resilience explores the enduring impact of the Great Migration through the voices of descendants and those who journeyed from the rural South to urban centers in the North. This transformative movement, spanning from the early 1900s to the 1970s, reshaped not only the lives of millions but also the fabric of American society. Through a blend of interviews, film and archival imagery, Echoes of the Great Migration illuminates the legacy of migration as told by today's families. The documentary also delves into the cultural legacy left by the migrants. Descendants share how their families maintained traditions and passed down values that reflect their Southern roots. Stories of communal gatherings, family recipes and musical heritage reveal how the essence of Southern culture continues to thrive in Northern cities.

Migration Screening Toolkit

WNIT presents Pokagon Band of Potawatomi: A Song for Everything. The documentary explores how culture and language have survived through the pressures of colonialism, government oppression and modern-day life. This is a story about how tribal expressionism and individualism of members combine with culture as a binding force of community. From re-recognition as a sovereign nation to reclaiming identity in contemporary America, culture and language play their part in defining what it means to be a Pokagon citizen and how that perseverance despite a myriad of struggles looks towards the future through art, music, language, knowledge-sharing and tradition.

Throughout its life, the St. Joseph River has always attracted and sustained life. From furs and food to transportation, power, and recreation the river serves a central role in the lives of those who call its banks home.  To this day, its waters provide for Native People. In the past, those waters attracted global powers to the region and later, powered the industries that built the cities of today. However, rapid industrialization and population growth took a toll on the river during the 19th and 20th centuries, altering its flow and polluting its waters. Today, however, the river is undergoing an astonishing transformation. Its waters are cleaner, and it serves as a point of pride for its communities, inspiring new development and recreational opportunities. We hope this documentary will accelerate this renewed appreciation for the St. Joseph River and inspire people to care for it for future generations.

Silver Beach opened as a resort in 1891 when local businessmen Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace built vacation cottages as Silver Beach Amusement and Realty Company along Lake Michigan. There are many stories to tell – including the midway roller coaster, Shadowland Ballroom, the carousel, Ferris wheel, waterslide, penny arcade, visits by Hollywood movie stars, performances by Big Band leaders, touring boats, vacationing tourists, the families who worked there, the guests who enjoyed the park and so much more. Join PBS Michiana-WNIT as we take you on a historic ride with a look back on the place that brought so much joy to so many individuals.

In 2024, PBS Michiana WNIT commemorates five decades as a broadcast station. From Signal to Story: 50 Years of WNIT Public Television will revisit pivotal moments in the station's public television legacy. Originating in 1968, WNIT TV emerged as a grassroots initiative to launch an educational television station. From its inception as a broadcasting training ground to its evolution into a producer of documentaries and television programs, WNIT has remained steadfast in its mission to deliver high-quality educational and cultural content. This special documentary will reflect on the challenges, achievements, and contributions of volunteers, students, and staff members navigating a changing media landscape while upholding the station's values as a vital voice, storyteller and educator in the community.

Written by Caleen Sinnette Jennings and based on Gabrielle Robinson's book, "Better Homes of South Bend: An American Story of Courage," this poignant story sheds light on a remarkable chapter in history. Discover how a group of African American workers at the Studebaker factory in South Bend defied the odds and built homes of their own, away from the factories and slums that confined them.

For a century, South Bend's Morris Performing Arts Center has transformed audiences through the magic of vaudeville, movies, theater, symphonies, ballet, and famous bands and movie stars from across the country. The adjoining Palais Royale dance hall has been the setting for proms and weddings, leaving indelible memories in the hearts of the community. All the while, the building itself has gone through its own transformations being saved from the wrecking ball in 1959 by Mrs. Ella Morris, the namesake of today's theater. PBS Michiana - WNIT will showcase the 100th anniversary of this artistic gem highlighting how the theater has served its community, and how the community has embraced the Morris.

Follow the story of the 19th century French stained glass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart which was commissioned by Father Edward Sorin and why it resonates today.

In 1906, J.M. Studebaker gifted the city of South Bend a fountain which stood for 40 years before it was scrapped in the 1940s. The fountain resurfaced when a family donated a portion of it to the local history museum. This program explores the history of the fountain, its curious journey, and the remaking of the gift that symbolizes innovation and potential.

Parks and community spaces are an important part of the health and wellbeing of the places we live. Recently the South Bend Venues Parks and Arts started an initiative to reinvest in those areas in ways that better served the needs of those that lived around them.