WQLN PBS NPR
8425 Peach Street
Erie, PA 16509

Phone
(814) 864-3001

© 2026 PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing

Season 27 Episode 9

Immigrant grooms work year-round on the hidden “backside” of Churchill Downs. Rising before dawn, they care for some of the world’s most prized Kentucky Derby racehorses, revealing how race, labor, and class shape an elite American industry. BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing honors the resilience that’s behind the spectacle.

Aired: 04/12/26
Latest Episodes
A filmmaker seeks belonging in the little people community and explores dwarfism within her family.
An Amish sexual assault survivor breaks her silence, sparking a movement for justice and reform.
Librarians across the U.S. examine how restrictions on library content are shaping communities.
Meet Barbara Jordan: a civil rights icon whose powerful voice masked a complex private life.
When her eyesight begins to fade, a film editor reimagines belonging and what it truly means to see.
A filmmaker investigates assisted dying through the lens of disabled voices missing from the debate.
A bipartisan coalition continues a century-long fight to add gender equality into the Constitution.
Phil Sharp’s RNA discovery reshaped science, medicine, and the global biotech industry.
Sizzles and such
An elusive photographer uses street art tactics to share his previously unknown work with the world.
Extras
Unseen immigrant workers keep the Kentucky Derby running.
Follow filmmaker Julie Forrest Wyman as she searches for her place in the little people community.
One woman exposes abuse within Amish communities and helps survivors find the strength to speak out.
Barbara Jordan’s voice shook the nation. Discover her story in The Inquisitor.
Librarians across the U.S. examine how the review of library materials is impacting communities.
An editor’s journey through vision loss and the power of reinvention.
Welcome to the Independent Lens video podcast. We explore "Life After" and medical aid in dying.
A filmmaker investigates assisted dying through the lens of disabled voices missing from the debate.
Follow the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment with a pivotal legal battle in Virginia.
Phil Sharp’s RNA breakthrough sparked a revolution in science, health, and biotech.
WQLN PBS Passport is a member benefit that provides you with extended access to an on-demand library of quality public television programming!