Television has long been faulted for emphasizing African-American achievement in show business and athletics, while ignoring black pioneers in the nation's intellectual life - particularly in science.
One documentary doesn't fix the problem, but Forgotten Genius, a two-hour biography of chemist Percy Julian premiering on PBS tonight, is a solid step in the right direction.
On TV Forgotten Genius airs at 8 tonight on MPT (Channels 22 and 67).