TV One has announced the premiere date of its two-part documentary special UNSUNG PRESENTS: MUSIC & THE MOVEMENT –remembering the artists and songs that have provided the soundtrack to the fight for justice and equality – airing part one on Monday, January 18, 2021, at 8 P.M. ET/7C immediately followed by part two at 9 P.M. ET/8C.
On hand to provide commentary about the new musical genre that emerged during pivotal movements in Black Americans tumultuous past and troubling present are Erica Campbell​, Big Gipp, Raheem DeVaughn, Rev. Al Sharpton, Isaac Hayes III, Ronda Racha Penrice, Headkrack, Shante Paige, DJ Kemit, Dyana Williams, Angie Ange, Colby Colb, Rickey Vincent, Steve Ivory, Delores Thompson, Dave Washington, Billy Johnson, Jr., Kenny Gamble, P. Frank Williams, Keith Murphy, DJ Yella, Battlecat, Soren Baker, and Felicia “Poetess” Morris. 

​The Martin Luther King Jr. Day special incorporates first-hand accounts, interviews with artists and media, coupled with archival footage from memorable speeches, soul-stirring vocal performances, and more. Moments of Black auditory dissent featured in the special spans centuries and includes themes of Negro spirituals, like “Swing Low Sweet Chariot,” which provided both a distraction from the harsh conditions of slavery and communication tools for the enslaved as they plotted their escape to freedom; to soul and funk anthems during the Black Power movement performed by Aretha Franklin (“Respect”) and Curtis Mayfield (“People Get Ready”) demanding an immediate change to the political landscape and that civil rights be upheld; to the heart-wrenching viral music videos by young, contemporary artists – like Keedron Bryant’s captivating single “I Just Want to Live” – creating rallying mixtapes for the current Black Lives Matter movement which, this past summer, saw a melting pot of cultures across the globe who marched in solidarity, to protest police brutality. The two one-hour specials serve as a re-examination of the power that music has had to transform a cultural moment into a movement. 

Additionally, UNSUNG PRESENTS: MUSIC & THE MOVEMENT will feature the broadcast debut of the original track "KliKKK KlaKKK" by Sunny Dizzle and the group Steaksawse, recently announced as the winner of Reach Media's "The Song" contest. Presented in partnership with Kevin Liles and 300 Entertainment, the contest was designed to provide an opportunity for an independent artist to create music that reflects the current climate, elevates the collective consciousness, and promotes hope and change. The single will have its global release on Friday, January 15, 2020 and will be featured across Reach Media radio stations.  

​For more information about TV One's upcoming programming, including original movies, visit the network's companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using the hashtags #MUSICANDTHEMOVEMENT and #REPRESENT.

When We Speak TV would like to just take a moment to congratulate actor Keshia Knight Pulliam and actor Brad James on their engagement!  

​Both Keisha and Brad announced their engagement today on Instagram, with a beautiful photo from their engagement party with family and Pulliam's daughter, Ella.

Keshia writes:  I said Yes!! ❤️💍
I LOVE YOU @mrbradjames !!!!This is my favorite photo from our magical engagement dinner. My desire is a lifetime and beyond filled with love & family. My heart is so filled with joy!! So excited to continue to choose each other & our family every day.

Thank you for helping us share the good news @people & thank you to everyone who made this day possible.

Brad writes:  â€‹Boats and ships are safe in harbor, but that's not why they're built... 🌊 Hitting the waters with my @keshiaknightpulliam ðŸ˜˜ðŸ’
#engaged

📸 @janethowardstudio
💍 @fevzimadeit
Special thanks @people @scoobiewest
@24kmom ðŸ˜‰

Keshia Knight Pulliam - brad james - actor brad james - keisha knight pulliam and brad james - black love - who is brad james - the cosby show - keisha knight pulliam - actor brad james - keshia knight pulliam wedding - brad james wife - Jermaine Sain - When We Speak TV

​Actor Brad James (Tyler Perry's For Better Or Worse) joins Jermaine Sain (When We Speak TV) and Maureen Guest (Mbodyment Underground Radio) on the red carpet at the ATL Actors Awards. 

When We Speak TV was very familiar with Terrell Carter's career as a singer and his appearance in several Tyler Perry productions, but we had no idea that there was a more surprising personal life story. 

Actor/Producer, Tyler Perry, has donated $100,000 to the legal defense fund of Kenneth Walker, the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor.

During an interview on The Clay Cane Show, Fresh Price of Bel-Air actor, Tatyana Ali, discusses her experience with  colorism in Hollywood.

Its being reported that actor/producer, Tyler Perry, has donated $100,000 to the legal defense fund of Kenneth Walker (the boyfriend of Breonna Taylor, who was shot dead in her apartment in March by Louisville police).

A GoFundMe page was created on Nov. 10 to raise money for the upcoming legal battle, with a goal set at $100,000. Perry helped Walker to surpass it with his donations on Sunday, which came in waves – first $10,000, then another $10,000, followed by $50,000 and $30,000, according to Variety.

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency—a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes readers on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective—the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change,” and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.

The Black American Music Association (BAM) and the Georgia Entertainment Caucus (GEC) has announced the formation of the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame (WOF) which will be installed in downtown Atlanta starting in January 2021.

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The WOF will reside on the sidewalks of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Northside Drive, 1 AMB Drive, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. 

Held annually on July 4, the Peachtree Road Race was postponed to Thanksgiving Day in hopes the COVID-19 pandemic would subside enough for large gatherings. When it became clear an in-person event would not be possible, race organizers Atlanta Track Club announced the race would be held virtually over the course of four days from November 26-29. Race packets began shipping via UPS and will be arriving at participant’s homes.

​Beckie Dominick’s appropriately and optimistically named “Keep On Keeping On” will grace the front of the shirts delivered to all participants of the Virtual Running of the AJC Peachtree Road Race. The shirts, which were printed for the traditional July 4 running of the race, were sent back to the printer to add a message on the back of the shirt that reads “Peachtree: An Atlanta Tradition 2020 Can’t Stop.” It marks the first time a printing appears on the back of the shirt since the 1986 Peachtree.
Dominick, a graphic designer from Gainesville, Georgia received the news over Zoom on Tuesday. “I think every time I see someone wearing the shirt, I’ll think ‘oh my gosh! I did that!” Dominick said. Dominick, who recently moved to Georgia from Florida is a first time entrant in the contest. She also plans to complete her first Peachtree on Thanksgiving weekend. Dominick will be awarded $1,000 for her winning design.

​That won’t stop 90-year-old Bill Thorn of Tyrone, Georgia. He’s the only person to complete every Peachtree. In honor of his streak, Thorn was the first participant to receive his shirt, hand delivered by Race Director Rich Kenah on Tuesday morning. “For y’all to even think about me under these circumstances, I just can’t get over it,” Thorn said.

​The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs’ (OCA) annual ELEVATE public art festival recently partnered with Facebook to install five new murals, which are a part of this year’s festival — presented digitally on the ELEVATE website, Facebook, and YouTube from October 4 to 10.

With 2020 marking a pivotal election year, Facebook launched the “Voting is Voice” campaign and set a goal to register 4 million new voters during the largest voter drive in U.S. history. Facebook’s partnership with the OCA and ELEVATE was a natural fit as the festival will explore the concept of social justice and equity through this year’s programming.

​For the “Voting is Voice” campaign, five artists from across the U.S. created original artwork commissions in response to the prompt “Voting is Voice.” Within this theme, each artist explored voting as a powerful tool of the personal and collective voice, the importance of a diversity of voices to a healthy society, the powerful impact of personal narratives as vehicles for change, and our collective responsibility to acknowledge and amplify a broad spectrum of voices. These five murals are a part of Facebook’s push to increase voter engagement and participation during this election year.

Each mural will feature the artist’s bio, Q.R. codes, and URLs that direct viewers to Facebook and Instagram’s Voting Information Center, where they can find more information on the 2020 U.S. election and a quick and easy way to register to vote.

In addition, the murals encourage public interaction through compelling, relevant design & digital features that create multiple levels of access for every member of the community.

This year’s ELEVATE Art Festival examines arts and culture through the lens of our changed reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have experienced racial unrest, economic recession, isolation due to social distancing, and a divisive political climate. The festival theme is Equity, Activism, Engagement, and through our programs we seek to provide hope, inspiration, and food for your soul. Join this year’s free virtual programs from Sunday, October 4 through Saturday, October 10.  It’ll be streaming live via Facebook, YouTube and website. Check elevateatlart.com for details.  Below is the music lineup.

This year’s ELEVATE Art Festival examines arts and culture through the lens of our changed reality due to the COVID-19 pandemic, racial unrest, economic recession, and a divisive political climate. Dance performances being presented are dazzling, dreamlike, and defiant. They provide insight into issues that we, and our communities, are dealing with including inequity, food insecurity, and isolation, but also seek to inspire hope, resilience, and activism as we move forward. Join this year’s virtual programming from Sunday, October 4 through Saturday, October 10.