Oprah Will Lead A Televised Town Hall On Systemic Racism In America & It’s Required Viewing
Oprah Winfrey is organizing a two-night televised event on systemic racism. During the program, titled OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?, Winfrey will speak to influential Black leaders about America's history of racial injustice and ways to combat the racism ingrained in the country's systems. Here's how to watch Oprah's Where Do We Go From Here? for conversations following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25.
Winfrey has organized Black artists, activists, academics, and politicians for a televised town hall amid ongoing nationwide protests against racism and police brutality. “I’ve been having private conversations with friends and thought leaders about what’s next and where we go from here,” Winfrey told Variety. “I thought it would be both of interest and service to bring their ideas, concerns, and comments into a national spotlight.”
The featured guests include filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, journalist and founder of the "1619 Project" Nikole Hannah-Jones, Selma star David Oyelowo, and anti-racism scholar Ibram Kendi. NAACP national board member Rev. William J. Barber II and Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson will also participate in the discussions.
OWN will air the first part of the program on Tuesday, June 9 and part two on Wednesday, June 10, beginning at 9 p.m. ET on both nights. Discovery, which is OWN's parent company, will also air the event on its 18 other networks, including TLC, the Discovery Channel, and HGTV.
In the weeks since Floyd's death, Winfrey has used her social media to mourn the Black people who died at the hands of the police. She shared an illustration of Floyd on Instagram, along with the caption, "#GeorgeFloyd: We speak your name. But this time we will not let your name be just a hashtag. Your spirit is lifted by the cries of all of us who call for justice in your name!"
She also recently shared a post about Breonna Taylor, a Black woman who died after being shot by the police in her Georgia home in mid-March. Winfrey wrote "In our fight to remind the world that Black Lives Matter, we need to remember those Black lives also include Black women."
As a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Winfrey's televised town hall is sure to open up an important dialogue on inspiring change in the country. Tune into the discussion on OWN at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, June 9 and Wednesday, June 10.
