PBS marks the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation this week with the premiere of the new American Experience Documentary, The Abolitionists.

The film takes an in depth look at the movement to end slavery and how it shaped American history. It explores the stories of some famous abolitionists including Frederick Douglas and Harriet Beecher Stowe. Lois Brown is visiting Professor of African American Studies at Wesleyan University; she says it is a story we need to hear more about.

“These are a group of extraordinary ordinary people from every walk of life that you can imagine who devote their lives and risk their lives to see this nation fulfill its hopes of being truly just and democratic.”

The Abolitionists will air as a three part special presentation on American Experience on Tuesdays, beginning tonight at 9pm.