Dulé Hill Series on PBS Looks At How Art Addresses Society’s Woes

The Express Way With Dulé Hill, which sees actor/singer/dancer Hill explore the power of the arts in addressing societal ills in various corners of America, premieres on PBS April 23. It airs on Tuesdays. According to PBS, “the series captures diverse artists’ stories from across America, celebrating community, humanity and the transformative potential of creative expression.”

There are four parts, with Hill trekking to California, Appalachia, Chicago and Texas. He sees what a local issue is, and how residents use their art to address that problem.

“PBS is deeply committed to arts and cultural programming and recognizes its importance in a thriving and healthy community,” Sylvia Bugg, chief programming executive and general manager of general audience programming, PBS, said.  “As a celebrated artist himself, Dulé is the perfect person to be our guide, as we meet artists across the country who are supporting cultural understanding through creative expression.”

The premiere sees Hill in California.

Danny Lee is an executive producer and directs. Speaking at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour earlier this year, Lee said society needs some new approaches to its ongoing problems. “We all know that we’re living during extremely challenging times — a lot of noise and a lot of clutter,” he said. “We wanted to craft a show that just addresses how art can be the antidote to a lot of these ills.”

Hill’s credits include The West Wing, Psych and Suits. At TCA, he shared how his own pursuit of art helps him break down problems. “Whenever I dance, especially when I'm on the stage, it's a meditation for me,” he said. “It's a prayer for me, so I go inward to deal with what's affecting me on the outside. A lot of times, I can't actually put into words or comprehend what I'm dealing with, the things that I'm seeing and reconciling that with what I believe the world should be. But when I dance, I can put some energy out there that I think is going to have some type of ripple effect and affect my world and the world around me in a better way.”

Appalachia gets its close-up April 30. Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah is featured. “The act of creating a song and then the act of sharing that song, in both of those instances that that process is — it’s very healing,” Kiah said during PBS’s TCA session. “I started playing music as a way to work through my social anxiety, and it was a way to help me process emotional turmoil.  So for me, it started out as therapy and then, it was an interesting transition because it went from being my therapy to then becoming my job.”