The HISTORY(R) Channel premieres its new one-hour documentary “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” on Saturday, June 19 @ 8PM ET/PT, a date also known as Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Executive Produced and narrated by NBA legend and social justice advocate Kareem Abul-Jabbar, and Deborah Morales of Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment, “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” looks at the impact key movements throughout U.S. history have had in shaping our society, laws, and culture. From the labor movement of the 1880s, women’s suffrage, and civil rights, to the LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter movements, protest is in the American DNA and this documentary gives an unfiltered look at the ways it has evolved the world in which we live.
“One of this country’s greatest strengths is its willingness to listen to the voices of its people – whether at the ballot box or in the streets – and make changes to bring about a more equitable society,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
Protests helped forge American independence in 1776 and continue to serve as a charged impetus for change in the 21st century. Civil disobedience has always forced our country to take an uncompromising look at itself to judge if we are on the right course and seek to answer the question: does the arc of the moral universe bend toward justice when pressure is applied? From protests that started in small cities fighting for local change to movements that affect millions and garner national attention, every day people forged change. Anchored by sit down interviews and narratives from Abdul-Jabbar’s personal experiences, coupled with anecdotes from noteworthy historians and authors, and supported with archival imagery and current footage, “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” explores the people, protests, and movements that shaped our societies, laws, and culture, and that played an important role in making our country better.
“Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” is produced for The HISTORY(R) Channel by the Six West MediaTM group. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales serve as executive producers for Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment. Steve Ascher, Kristy Sabat, Jessica Conway, Kai Bowe, and Stephen Mintz are executive producers for the Six West MediaTM group. Eli Lehrer and Jennifer Wagman are executive producers for The HISTORY(R) Channel. “Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America” is the second collaboration between the network and Abdul-Jabbar, who received an Emmy nomination in 2020 for outstanding narrator in “Black Patriots: Heroes of the Revolution.”
