Oprah Winfrey will be conducting a two-night virtual town hall with Black thought leaders, activists, and artists to discuss systemic racism in America, a topic that has been the focus of the mainstream dialogue more than ever following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. 

“I’ve been having private conversations with friends and thought leaders about what’s next and where we go from here,” Oprah said. “I thought it would be both of interest and service to bring their ideas, concerns and comments into a national spotlight.” The special, titled OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?, will be broadcasted on OWN as well as all of the networks attached to its parent company, Discovery 18.

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“As a network dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black lives, OWN is committed to providing our community with important dialogue and helpful resources in this challenging time as we mourn the murder of George Floyd and ask ourselves how can we come together to create meaningful change,” OWN president, Tina Perry, said. “I am proud that our Discovery family has joined us to amplify this message in solidarity.”

“There is no one like Oprah to bring us all together at this critical moment in our history to offer insights, perspective and action,” president and CEO of Discovery, Inc., David Zaslav, said. “We are honoured to partner with OWN and use our global reach to amplify this important discussion about the global issues of economic and social justice and equality to a potential audience of one billion people across more than 200 markets in a way that only Discovery can.”

Guest speakers include: filmmaker Ava DuVernay,actor David Oyelowo, politician Stacey Abrams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, journalist Charles M. Blow, professor and author Jennifer Eberhardt, journalist and founder of the “1619 Project” Nikole Hannah-Jones, historian and author Ibram Kendi, Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson, and NAACP national board member Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Part 1 of Where Do We Go From Here?will air on Tuesday, June 9th, and Part 2 on Wednesday, June 10th.

It was a powerful film that dramatized one of the Civil Rights Movement's most poignant moments in history, but Selma was reportedly blackballed by the Academy Awards. Selma would go on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Song, with Common and John Legend winning for the latter. However, as well-received as the movie was, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided not to include the film in any other category. David Oyelowo starred in the Ava Duvernay-directed film as Dr. Martin Juther King Jr., and he recently told Screen Daily's Screen Talks that after they wore "I Can't Breathe" shirts to the movie's premiere, Academy members were angry.

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"Selma coincided with Eric Garner being murdered," Oyelowo said of the black man who was choked to death by police as he told them, "I Can't Breath." The actor added, "That was the last time we were in a place of ‘I Can’t Breathe.'... I remember at the premiere of Selma us wearing ‘I Can’t Breathe’ T-shirts in protest," the actor continued. "Members of the Academy called in to the studio and our producers saying, ‘How dare they do that?' 'Why are they stirring sh—?’ and ‘We are not going to vote for that film because we do not think it is their place to be doing that.' It’s part of why that film didn’t get everything that people think it should’ve got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite. They used their privilege to deny a film on the basis of what they valued in the world."

Later, DuVernay co-signed David Oyelowo's account when she tweeted, "True story." Someone from The Academy acknowledged the story and retweeted the filmmaker with a response that read, "Ava & David, we hear you. Unacceptable. We're committed to progress." Check it out below.