ABC News Presents Prime-Time Special “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming” airs this Friday, June 19 @ 8PM

ABC News announced today it will present a prime-time special to commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in America, and examine its symbolism among the Black community and around the nation. Led by a team of ABC News anchors and correspondents including “ABC News Live Prime” anchor Linsey Davis, “Nightline” co-anchor Byron Pitts, correspondents Deborah Roberts, TJ Holmes, Steve Osunsami and Janai Norman, and “The View” moderator Whoopi Goldberg, the one-hour special will feature reporting from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Galveston, Texas, and other cities across the country observing the day. “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming” airs Friday, June 19 (8:00 – 9:00PM EDT), on ABC.

“Juneteenth is a day celebrated and commemorated around the country by millions of Americans,” said Catherine McKenzie, executive producer for the prime-time special. “For a lot of people, including myself, it’s a day of serious reflection and observance of the struggles of all those who came before us. For some, it’s also a time to look forward at the struggles that still exist and have hope for the future. This Friday night, we’re excited to share the history and meaning of Juneteenth, as we also recognize where we are in this moment of American history and how far we still have to go.”

“Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming” will present intimate stories, examining the legacy of the holiday through the current lens of political and social unrest that has captured global attention. The special will feature stories of Black-owned businesses and the #BuyBlack movement to support them, the fight for voting rights and protecting them in 2020, the struggle to pass congressional anti-lynching legislation, the power of Black spirituality and the church and other houses of faith, and how a legacy of suffering has often been transformed into joy through the lens of artists.

“Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming” is executive produced by Catherine McKenzie.