Starting next month, ABC’s Soul of a Nation, a show featuring iconic sports and culture journalist Jemele Hill, Black-ish star Marsai Martin and other guest hosts, is set to showcase Black life in America.
The six-episode series is viewed by some as ABC’s commitment to continuing the conversation around race in general, and more specifically Black life in America long after Black History Month ends. According to USA Today, Soul of a Nation will “touch on themes such as spirituality, Black joy and activism in sports, as well as the nation’s racial reckoning after the death of George Floyd.”
A wide pool of reporters, performers, activists, and scholars, as well as different guest hosts are slated to contribute to this project, with the first two episodes of the series officially announced as being hosted by Hill and Martin.
Other ABC News anchors and correspondents names as series contributors include T.J. Holmes, Sunny Hostin, Janai Norman, Steve Osunsami, Byron Pitts, Deborah Roberts, and David Scott.
“We’re excited to expand enterprising Black storytelling and the celebration of Black culture beyond the month of February…viewers of all backgrounds, regardless of race, will be moved, educated, and inspired by the broad range of stories and topics shared on this show,” shared Eric Johnson, the show’s co-executive producer.
Series creator Marie Nelson added, “ABC News is proud to partner with ABC Entertainment to host ‘Soul of a Nation,’ a primetime convening place for diverse audiences to call home…it’s 2021 and the demands of this time call upon the media community to grant Black viewers more opportunities to see their lives reflected in all of its complexity and to present all of our audience access points to gain understanding.”
Soul of a Nation is set to air Tuesday nights on ABC this March.
-theGrio