On Saturday, June 19, the country celebrates Juneteenth, a day commemorating the emancipation of the last people still enslaved in the United States in 1865.
150 years later, Black music, television, art, and culture is deeply rooted in pop culture. This weekend kicks off a full lineup of television programming, special events, movie marathons, and more, all dedicated to honoring Black history, celebrating Black leaders and listening to Black voices throughout the country.
See the full list of scheduled Juneteenth-themed network programming and streaming specials below.
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Network Programming
ABC: On Friday, June 18, ABC is airing “Juneteenth: Together We Triumph – A ‘Soul of a Nation’ Special Event.” The two-hour special hosted by Leslie Odom Jr. will feature performances by Jimmie Allen, Chloe Bailey (of Chloe x Halle) and Leon Bridges.
The special will also include co-anchor Michael Strahan’s one-on-on interview with former President Barack Obama about race, resilience, and Obama’s book “A Promised Land.” The special airs Friday, June 18, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
TBS: TBS will kick off the weekend with the premiere of its new "Friday Night Vibes” block. The 52-week movie showcase will be hosted by Tiffany Haddish and co-hosted by Deon Cole and will feature diverse artists including Snoop Dogg. "Friday Night Vibes" debuts on June 18 at 7:30 p.m ET/PT.
The premiere block includes a double feature of “Creed” and “Creed 2” as well as a discussion on the origins of Juneteenth. On Saturday, TBS will air a Juneteenth Movie Marathon starting at noon E.T. with the "Creed" films followed by "Black Panther" at 5 p.m. ET.
PBS: PBS is celebrating Juneteenth with two programs. On Tuesday, the PBS Digital Studios series “Say It Loud,” which celebrates Black culture, context and history, aired a new episode titled “Are Black People Truly Free? Juneteenth and the Continuing Fight For Liberation.”
On Saturday, June 19, PBS will air “Slavery by Another Name,” a powerful documentary highlighting how many Black Americans were pulled back into forced labor with shocking brutality after the official end of slavery in 1865.
Both programs are free to audiences and are available via the PBS Video App and PBS.org.
CBS: On Sunday, Ava DuVernay’s Academy Award-nominated film “Selma” will make its broadcast debut as the “CBS Sunday Night Movie.” The movie chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965 when Dr. Martin Luther King led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators on a campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of brutal opposition. The film will be broadcast June 20 from 8 to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Smithsonian Channel: Smithsonian Channel is celebrating Juneteenth with an all-day event including original video essays from prominent and emerging voices, a CBS News-produced docu-series titled “Boiling Point” and a curated programming memorializing the Black experience. The video essays will feature Black leaders including Maimouna Youssef, a Grammy-nominated Indigenous musician, and Jason Reynolds, an award-winning and New York Times bestselling author.
“Boiling Point” will run Saturday, June 19th from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
Revolt: Revolt announced a special episode of “Revolt Black News” in partnership with Vice Media Group to honor the holiday. “The Juneteenth Town Hall & Celebration” will encourage young changemakers to exercise their political rights and benefit future generation. The special will feature conversations and musical performances from Earthgang, Tristan Mack Wilds, Van Lathan, Tiara Thomas, Kiana Ledé, and a report from Vice News Correspondent Dexter Thomas. “The Juneteenth Town Hall & Celebration” is premiering on Revolt’s linear TV channel and Vice TV on Saturday, June 19th at 12:00 p.m. ET.
FX & FXM: On Saturday, the networks will air episodes from hit show “black-ish” and two movie marathons on FX, FXX and FXM. FX will show “Selma,” “The Hate U Give,” “BlacKkKlansman,” “Green Book” and “Hidden Figures” from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET/PT. FXX will air more than a dozen episodes of "black-ish" on Saturday from 7:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. ET/PT. On the same day, FXM will air “The Hate U Give,” “Get Out” and “Selma” from 3 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. ET/12:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. PT.
Streaming Services
Peacock: Rachel Boynton’s new documentary “Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)” explores how Americans tell the story of the country’s Civil War. Filmed from President Obama’s final year in office through the present, it combines scenes and interviews filmed in the North and South, painting a multi-faceted portrait of the American psyche and the deep roots of our turbulent times. “Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are)” is exec produced by Brad Pitt and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. The film premieres on the streaming service on Thursday, June 17.
MagellanTV: Premium documentary streaming service MagellanTV will be making two of its feature documentaries free for the holiday weekend, June 18 through June 20. Viewers can watch two compelling documentaries: “Monumental Crossroads: Heritage, History, And Hate” and “The Fight for the Black Middle Class” for free as part of a special, six-title Juneteenth Playlist created for subscribers.
Tubi: Tubi’s “United Against Inequality: Legacy of Juneteenth” package offers over a dozen documentaries centered around the experiences of the Black community, including “I Am Not Your Negro,” “Anita” and “Up From Slavery.”
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