History will commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death with a one-hour documentary revolving around the Civil Rights movement.
Rise Up: The Movement that Changed America, will debut April 4 and explores the key battles in the Civil Rights Movement that transformed American society, said network officials. The This documentary will follow the inner workings of the movement and the four legislative decisions that resulted, including: Montgomery Campaign, which declared that segregated public transportation was in violation of the 14th Amendment; Birmingham Campaign, led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which ended segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination; Selma Campaign, led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which aimed to overcome legal barriers that prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote; and the Chicago Campaign, which led to the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibited discrimination over the sale, rental or financing of housing.
The one-hour documentary is executive produced by LeBron James, Maverick Carter and Stanley Nelson, and features interviews with Civil Rights movement activists, politicians and historians such as President Bill Clinton; Jesse Jackson; Andrew Young; Sen. Cory Booker; Sen. Doug Jones; Harry Belafonte and Rashad Robinson, Color of Change Executive Director, said the network.
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“We are currently witnessing a young generation rising up to make their voices heard, similar to the journey courageous leaders of the Civil Rights movement took to create change in America,” said Eli Lehrer, Executive Vice President of Programming, for History in a statement. “Through the powerful storytelling of LeBron and Stanley, this film will reflect on the past providing viewers with an intimate account of the campaigns that resulted in unprecedented legislation, and look toward the future as current activists and politicians continue the path toward change.”
