To better understand the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement that recently shook America and the rest of the world, Discovery Channel airs special features tackling the sensitive and significant topics of racism and police brutality from June 26 to 28.
After the death of George Floyd at the hands of police on May 25, 2020, the Black Lives Matter movement was rekindled with a seemingly unstoppable momentum reaching beyond America’s borders into Europe and Asia.
Filipinos sympathetic to the cause have taken to social media to show solidarity with protestors in America by sharing their sentiments through the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag. The Filipinos’ support extended to a protest calling to protect civil liberties with an estimated attendance of 1,500-2,000 in early June, where demonstrators took a knee to express unity with BLM protestors.
To encourage further conversations surrounding the movement, previous news anchor and journalist Tony Harris hosts a panel with leaders involved in the movement including activists, press, and law enforcement in the first special, The Murder of George Floyd: A Nation Responds, which airs 8:00 p.m. on Friday.
The second special is a two-part special that puts the spotlight on black activists, artists, and thought leaders as they speak openly with Oprah Winfrey about systematic racism in America and the current state of their nation. Among the guest speakers are filmmaker and director of A Wrinkle in Time Ava DuVernay and Interstellar actor Davil Oyelowo. The first episode of OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here? airs on Saturday at 8:00 p.m., with the second episode to air the following day at the same time.
Documentaries honoring the life of Nelson Mandela in The Making of Mandela on June 27 at 9:00 p.m. and Martin Luther King in Justice for MLK: The Hunt for James Earl Ray, where viewers can follow the manhunt for the fugitive assassin of Martin Luther King, on June 28 at 9:00 pm will also be aired as part of Discovery Channel’s special programming.
Discovery Channel is on Sky Cable CH 39, Cignal TV CH 140, and Destiny Cable CH 56.