This year, the March on Washington will take place on Aug. 28 and Facebook Watch is teaming up with Will Packer and Jesse Collins Entertainment to premiere a one-hour special to recognize the 57th anniversary of the historic 1963 event.
Hosted by Queen Latifah as part of Facebook’s #LiftBlackVoices initiative, Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today is like a pregame to the big day, acting as a community effort to make sure Black folks are informed and empowered.
“I can’t think of a more important time than now to recognize the powerful changemakers from the ‘60s and how we can bring the same needed energy to the present. I hope you love watching this program as much as I loved hosting it,” Latifah said in a statement.
Here are more details of the special, per a press release sent to The Root:
Alongside Queen Latifah will be notable civil rights activists, educators, entertainers and speakers who will address the history and harmful effects of systemic racism, outline ways we can address social injustices in the U.S., and inspire viewers to make their voices heard in the upcoming election by making sure they’re registered to vote and then getting out to the polls.
The Facebook community will have the opportunity to tune-in to a roundtable conversation, one-on-one interviews between public figures and activists, special archived footage, as well as a musical performance by artist Chika (Warner Records recording artist).
Other confirmed guests include Amanda Seales (Insecure, Smart Funny & Black), Angela Rye (attorney; IMPACT Strategies, principal and CEO), Common (artist, actor, activist), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon, The Color Purple), Fat Joe (artist, actor, journalist), Heather McGhee (Color Of Change), Jamarria Hall (Right To Literacy), Kendrick Sampson (Insecure, Miss Juneteenth), LaTosha Brown (Black Voters Matter, Southern Black Girls & Women’s Consortium), Matt McGorry (How to Get Away with Murder; Orange is the New Black; Inspire Justice, co-founder & co-CEO), Patrisse Cullors (Black Lives Matter, co-founder), Rashad Robinson (Color Of Change), Reverend Al Sharpton (National Action Network, founder and president), Richie Reseda (formerly incarcerated musician and organizer), Samantha Francine (Black Lives Matter activist, speaker), Scott Budnick (Anti-Recidivism Coalition, founder; One Community, LLC., CEO), Tip “T.I.” Harris (musician, actor), Tylik McMillan (National Action Network, national director of youth and college) and Will Packer (The Photograph, Little, Girls Trip).
Jesse Collins (John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, The New Edition Story), Dionne Harmon (Rhythm + Flow, BET Awards), Will Packer (The Photograph, Little, Girls Trip), and Kelly Smith (Atlanta Child Murders, Blackballed) are executive producers. Writer, filmmaker, activist and Peabody Award-winning producer dream hampton serves as executive producer / showrunner.
“In order for this to be more than just a moment in time we must be honest and thoughtful about our history and how far we have and haven’t come. This show is in depth and unflinching,” Packer said in a statement.
Also, please do use Facebook’s Voting Information Center as a resource to answer any questions you have about voting, including tools on how to register.
Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today premieres on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET on Facebook Watch.
You can tune into the special then on Facebook.com or view the video below:
Update: 8/26/2020, 1:41 p.m. ET: An earlier version of this article stated that the premiere time for Change Together: From the March on Washington to Today would be 9 a.m. PT / 12p.m. ET. However Facebook has informed us that the premiere time has been updated to 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. We have updated the above to reflect the correct time of this special.
Join the discussion! The Root is hosting its first-ever, virtual Root Institute, presented by Target, featuring several of the leading minds in our community talking about politics, culture, health, community building and social impact. Subscribe for updates today!