Comedian Chris Rock has a bit about failing a black history class because all he knew about black history was Martin Luther King, and the Civil Rights leader was his answer to every question. The joke goes:

Teacher: What's the capital of Zaire?
Chris Rock: Martin Luther King.
Teacher: Tell us the name of the woman who would not give up her seat on the bus.
Christ Rock: Oh, that's hard. Are ya sure it was a woman? Okay I got it: Martina Luther King.

It’s funny because it‘s true. Educators often focus on the most popular leaders of movements. One can imagine a student answering Michael Pollan or Alice Waters to every question about the food movement in the future. Fortunately, “Food Forward,” a new documentary series premiering next month on PBS, will highlight the lesser-known food rebels across the country.

Watch a Trailer for “Food Forward”

"Food Forward" was created by filmmaker Greg Roden, cinematographer David Linstrom and award-winning journalist Stett Holbrook.

Each episode will focus on the people who are living--and creating--viable alternatives to how food is grown and what we eat. The diverse themes--school lunch reform, urban agriculture, sustainable fishing, grass-fed beef, and soil science--have the potential to reach a wide audience as we tune in to learn about the people creating change in our communities.

Check your PBS listings for “Food Forward” airings.