Oprah Winfrey to host two-night Town Hall on racism in America titled Where Do We Go From Here? with guests Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo and more
Talk-show legend Oprah Winfrey is set to host a two-night town hall tackling racism in America titled Where Do We Go From Here? in response to the protests for George Floyd.
The special TV event is scheduled to air on June 9 and 10, and will be shown on Winfrey’s OWN Network, as well as all 18 of Discovery’s other networks, including Discovery Channel, TLC, HGTV and Science Channel, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
‘I’ve been having private conversations with friends and thought leaders about what’s next and where we go from here,’ Winfrey reportedly said in a statement – in regards to the unlawful killing of black unarmed man Floyd, at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Speaking up: Talk-show legend Oprah Winfrey is set to host a two-night town tall tackling racism in America titled Where Do We Go From Here? in response to the George Floyd protests
The footage of Floyd’s shocking murder has sparked widespread outrage across the country and the world, with protesters calling out the systematic racism that is embedded into the fabric of American history.
‘I thought it would be of both interest and service to bring their ideas, concerns and comments into a national spotlight,’ Winfrey added.
Per the report, Winfrey will be joined by a number of guests for the TV event, including film director Ava DuVernay, actor David Oyelowo, Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson, NAACP national board member Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, and many others.
Star support: Oprah will be joined by guests Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo and more
OWN president Tina Perry also said in a statement: ‘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.’
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has continued to cause further division since the incident, with a series of responses that have only incited more anger from protesters.
On Friday, Trump seized on a new report showing a startling drop in unemployment, then said George Floyd was ‘looking down’ at the country and it was a ‘great day’ for him.
Trump made the odd comment during a rambling 53-minute appearance celebrating the good economic news – which he said defied expectations of top analysts and proved the U.S. economy was back on track.
‘Hopefully George is looking down right now and saying “this is a great thing that is happening for our country.” It’s a great day for him. It’s a great day for everybody. This is a great, great day in terms of quality,’ Trump said.
Protest: The graphic footage of George Floyd’s shocking murder has sparked widespread outrage across the country and the world (Floyd pictured above)
‘It’s really what our Constitution requires and what our country is all about. It really is what our Constitution requires,’ he added.
Former Vice President Joe Biden called it ‘despicable’ that Trump would seek to ‘put words’ in Floyd’s mouth.
Biden hit back with a speech in Dover, Delaware, saying: ‘We are still facing devastating unemployment.’
‘And Donald Trump is patting himself on the back,’ Biden said. He just has no idea in my view of what is going on in this country,’ Biden said. ‘He remains completely oblivious to the human toll of his indifference.’