Sterling K. Brown to Host "Soul of a Nation" Series Premiere Tuesday, March 2
ABC News announced award-winning actor/producer Sterling K. Brown will be the special guest host for the series premiere of primetime newsmagazine "Soul of a Nation." The premiere episode will dive into this moment of racial reckoning in present-day America tackling issues ranging from policing to reparations and segments highlighting the arts and entertainment. Brown, ABC News' Adrienne Bankert, Sunny Hostin, Byron Pitts and Pierre Thomas lead this groundbreaking hour. It will feature interviews with actor and reparations activist Danny Glover, EGOT winner, producer and social activist John Legend and U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, one of the many officers who defended the Capitol on January 6. Plus, Legend will give a special intimate musical performance. This historic six-episode series will debut Tuesday, March 2 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EST) on ABC. Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.
The premiere episode of "Soul of a Nation" includes the following stories and conversations:
In an ABC News exclusive, Thomas speaks in a one-on-one interview with Officer Dunn, the first and, to date, only U.S. Capitol Police Officer to speak out. Dunn, who was quoted numerous times during the impeachment trial, details the fury and horror of the insurrection at the Capitol, speaks honestly about the role race played and discusses race and policing nationally in this time of Black Lives Matter.
Pitts travels to Evanston, Ill., the first locality in the country to fund a plan to distribute reparations to its Black residents. The story reveals how the city arrived at this historic point and how they are changing the national dialogue on reparations. Pitts interviews actor and reparations activist Glover and speaks with community leaders, historians and multi-generational family members who, in some cases, lived through the insidious racism and redlining in this now-liberal Chicago suburb.
Hostin moderates a provocative recurring conversation called "In the Kitchen," where each week a group of talkers and thinkers join her for a candid discussion on current events and the theme of the week. This episode features Brown and Angela Rye.
A mini-documentary by ESPN's The Undefeated chronicles the racial reckoning in film in the Black community, from the early days when African Americans were virtually shut out of cinema, to recent years where Hollywood filmmakers are experiencing a forceful push for change both in front of and behind the camera. Viewers will hear from a variety of personal perspectives, including Tommy Davidson, Wes Jackson, Sylvia Obell, John Ridley, Rebecca Theodore-Vachon and Justin Tinsley.
Bankert sits down for an interview with Legend regarding music, activism and the importance of telling Black stories in Hollywood. He'll close out the show with an intimate piano and vocal performance of his Oscar shortlisted song from the documentary Giving Voice, "Never Break."
Brown joins the previously announced Jemele Hill and Marsai Martin on the stellar roster of special guest hosts for each "Soul of a Nation" episode with interviews and reporting by ABC News anchors and correspondents.