Byron Allen’s HBCU Go, the media provider for America’s Historically Black College and Universities, said it will commemorate Juneteenth by debuting two documentaries over the holiday weekend.
The first is Portraits ‘N Color: Re-Powered, which weaves together three short films about women who tackled the issues of unjust policing and the consequences of violence and found solutions to transform their communities. Re-Powered was produced by Kristin Adiar, CEO of Unchained Stories and includes interviews with Public Welfare Foundation grantee Lashonia Tate, Adair and Candice C. Jones, president and CEO of the PWF.
HBCU Go will also show History Half Told is Untold, which relates the story of the historic First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, established in 1776. The church was organized by a group of free and enslaved Blacks despite laws that forbade Blacks from gathering. The church has witnessed slavery, the Civil Rights Movement–Martin Luther King Jr. spoke there– and the modern era. In 2016, the church’s Freedom Bell was brought to Washington, D.C., and run by President Obama and Ruth Odom to market the opening of the National Museum of African-American History & Culture.
“Juneteenth is an incredibly important historical mark in American history that should be more fully realized, explored and excavated,” said Curtis Symonds, president of HBCU Go. “We are proud to present these two distinct documentary specials exploring the roots of the Black church and untrumpeted women trailblazers fighting on the front lines for transformative justice.”
The HBCU Go Juneteenth programs commemorating the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the U.S. are available on HBCUGo.TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV. Viewers can also access the programs by downloading the HBCU Go App. ■
