Oprah Winfrey will be conducting a two-night virtual town hall with Black thought leaders, activists, and artists to discuss systemic racism in America, a topic that has been the focus of the mainstream dialogue more than ever following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a few weeks ago.
“I’ve been having private conversations with friends and thought leaders about what’s next and where we go from here,” Oprah said. “I thought it would be both of interest and service to bring their ideas, concerns and comments into a national spotlight.” The special, titled OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?, will be broadcasted on OWN as well as all of the networks attached to its parent company, Discovery 18.
“As a network dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black lives, OWN is committed to providing our community with important dialogue and helpful resources in this challenging time as we mourn the murder of George Floyd and ask ourselves how can we come together to create meaningful change,” OWN president, Tina Perry, said. “I am proud that our Discovery family has joined us to amplify this message in solidarity.”
“There is no one like Oprah to bring us all together at this critical moment in our history to offer insights, perspective and action,” president and CEO of Discovery, Inc., David Zaslav, said. “We are honoured to partner with OWN and use our global reach to amplify this important discussion about the global issues of economic and social justice and equality to a potential audience of one billion people across more than 200 markets in a way that only Discovery can.”
Guest speakers include: filmmaker Ava DuVernay,actor David Oyelowo, politician Stacey Abrams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, journalist Charles M. Blow, professor and author Jennifer Eberhardt, journalist and founder of the “1619 Project” Nikole Hannah-Jones, historian and author Ibram Kendi, Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson, and NAACP national board member Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Part 1 of Where Do We Go From Here? will air on Tuesday, June 9th, and Part 2 on Wednesday, June 10th.
