Tamron Hall and T.J. Holmes will host ABC News’ upcoming Soul of a Nation special. After Floyd: The Year that Shook the World will reflect on the past 12 months through interviews, two special performances, and conversations on how to move forward.
What’s Happening:
- On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death and the racial reckoning that swept the country, ABC News will air a special edition of Soul of a Nation, reflecting on the moment that inspired change around the world.
- The special will chronicle the dramatic and epic events surrounding Floyd’s death, and spotlight where the country goes from this point forward.
- Daytime talk show host Tamron Hall and GMA3: What You Need to Know co-anchor T.J. Holmes will host this one-hour special from Minneapolis.
- The duo will be joined by Pierre Thomas, Janai Norman, Byron Pitts and Sunny Hostin.
- The special will feature in-depth interviews with:
- Floyd’s family
- Civil rights attorney Ben Crump
- Civil rights leader and founder and president of National Action Network Rev. Al Sharpton
- Floyd’s pastor and Resurrection Houston Lead Pastor Patrick P.T. Ngwolo
- Actor Kendrick Sampson
- Additionally, the special will feature performances by Aloe Blacc (“Other Side”) and from poet MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellow Terrance Hayes.
- After Floyd: The Year that Shook the World – A Soul of a Nation Special will air on Tuesday, May 25 (10:00-11:00 pm EDT), on ABC.
- Episodes can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.
About the Special and Segments:
- After Floyd: The Year that Shook the World – A Soul of a Nation Special reflects on the magnitude of the past year and includes interviews with:
- Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad
- Tamika D. Mallory
- Nekima Levy Armstrong
- Jeremiah Ellison
- T.J. Holmes takes viewers to Houston and Minneapolis to meet those who knew “Big Floyd” best, examining how Floyd’s story ultimately intersected with a nation in crisis due to a deadly pandemic and pent-up pain and frustration around high-profile cases of police brutality.
- Pierre Thomas speaks with protestors who clashed with police in Washington, D.C., and a good Samaritan who housed over 70 protestors. He also revisits the extraordinary Floyd-inspired movement that spread across the globe with the Rev. Al Sharpton.
- Janai Norman explores what a more inclusive memorial and public art landscape could look like with Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and renowned visual and conceptual artist Hank Willis Thomas. She also examines what changes schools are making post-Floyd to make their curriculums more inclusive and accurate.
- Byron Pitts takes a look at the ongoing federal police reform effort in Washington, the latest with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 and The BREATHE Act with its architect Gina Clayton-Johnson. He also embeds with the Newark Police Department to examine if the city could serve as a model for de-escalation reform.
- Sunny Hostin returns to moderate an intimate and powerful “In the Kitchen” conversation on grief, resiliency and where America goes from here with mothers whose children have been killed by police, including Valerie Bell (Sean Bell), Lezley McSpadden (Michael Brown) and Michelle Kenney (Antwon Rose II).
Creative Team:
- After Floyd: The Year that Shook the World – A Soul of a Nation Special is produced by ABC News.
- Eric Johnson is series executive producer.
- Melia Patria and Catherine McKenzie are co-executive producers.
- Marie Nelson is the series creator of Soul of a Nation and senior vice president of Integrated Content Strategy at ABC News.
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