“The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow” is a four-part PBS series about the era of Jim Crow. The documentary, narrated by Richard Roundtree, airs 10 p.m. through Oct. 22.

Jim Crow spans the time between the end of slavery until the civil rights movement.

Firsthand accounts, and long forgotten photos tell of the horrors of Jim Crow.

Part one, “Promises Betrayed,” details the era from 1865-1896 by highlighting how African Americans’ life changed after segregation laws were put in place after the Civil War.

The documentary covers landmark Supreme Court case, Plessy V. Ferguson, in which the doctrine of “separate but equal” became legal.

“The program did a good job showing many of the obstacles placed in the way of black advancement,” said Jerry Gershenhorn, an assistant professor of history at N.C. Central University.

Part two, “Fight Back,” highlights the period from 1896-1917. This episode explores the dramatic rise of a successful black middle class, and the determination of white supremacists to destroy the fledgling black political power.

It focuses on significant leaders, such as, educator Charlotte Hawkins Brown, and scholar W.E.B. Du Bois.

Part three, “Don’t Shout Too Soon,” deals with the year after World War I, 1918-1940. These years proved difficult and fruitful. The period yielded the 1921 Tulsa Riots and the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance.

The final installment, “Terror and Triumph,” looks at the period from 1940-1954.

African Americans used their political voice in the revolutionary case, Brown v. Board of Education, a Supreme Court decision that opened the doors to voting for African Americans. According to Gershenhorn, the era of Jim Crow era still has repercussions on the black community.

“Economic oppression of African Americans during the Jim Crow era meant that whites received economic advantages, including the better jobs, at the expense of African Americans,” said Gershenhorn.

“That means that white families could build their wealth while black families could not.