The Undefeated, ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture, will present Time for Change: We Won’t be Defeated, an ESPN primetime special exploring black athletes’ experiences with injustice, on June 24
What’s Happening:
- The Undefeated, ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture, will present Time for Change: We Won’t be Defeated on Wednesday, June 24 at 8 p.m. ET, with an encore presentation on ESPN2 at 11 p.m. The one-hour primetime television special will examine black athletes’ experiences with injustice and the unifying role that sports continues to play in bridging the divide between law enforcement and people of color in America.
- SportsCenter anchors Elle Duncan, Michael Eaves and Jay Harris will be joined by ESPN college sports reporter and NBA studio host Maria Taylor to host the show. Time for Change will feature a series of roundtable discussions with athletes and other leading voices in sports and culture.
- Time for Change is part of The Undefeated’s ongoing, unprecedented coverage of the protests and social justice reform efforts that have come to the forefront following the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks.
- Planned Highlights of Time for Change: We Won’t Be Defeated:
- Why Does this Time Feel Different?: A conversation on why the current push for change feels different;
- Enough is Enough: An examination of how we got here – from the killings of unarmed Black men and women to protests in the streets;
- Black Athletes and the Police Experience: The personal challenge Black athletes face with law enforcement;
- Our Children: The challenge of raising a Black child in America today;
- The Privilege of Being White: A reflective look at White privilege, and the need for non-Black athletes to help dismantle it through the fight against systemic racism.
- Award-winning African American poet Kwame Alexander penned an original composition titled “American Bulletpoints” for the show, which will also feature “This One is For Us,” another Alexander poem written and dedicated to the launch of The Undefeated in May 2016. Additionally, works by award-winning writers Soraya McDonald, Lonnae O’Neal (The Undefeated) and ESPN’s Tom Junod will be incorporated into the special.
- Time for Change is co-produced by Sharon Matthews of The Undefeated and SportsCenter senior producer Michael Fountain, who has helmed past Undefeated specials including A Conversation with The President: Sports, Race and Achievement with President Barack Obama in October 2016.
- The Undefeated is ESPN’s multiplatform content initiative exploring the intersections of sports, race and culture. The digital hub, TheUndefeated.com, which launched in May 2016, combines innovative long-form and short-form storytelling, investigation, original reporting and provocative commentary to enlighten and entertain African Americans, as well as sports fans seeking a deeper understanding of black athletes, culture and related issues.
- In addition to its cutting-edge content, The Undefeated seeks to be a thought-leader on race, sports and culture in the country – convening insightful forums to discuss and debate topical issues affecting sports and race in America.
What They’re Saying:
- Kevin Merida, ESPN Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of The Undefeated: “We are proud to host this special to contribute to the vital dialogues that are so central to making our country better. The Undefeated has always been committed to elevating the lives of Black athletes beyond the courts and playing fields, and to helping us all see each other more completely. When the lights go down on this moment, we’ll still be here.”