Juneteenth on TV: A ‘black-ish’ Marathon, Movies & More Programming to Check Out

Black-ish Season 1 - Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson
Nicole Wilder / ©ABC / courtesy Everett Collection
blackish

TV is recognizing Juneteenth with several special slates of programming, ranging from documentaries and films to new specials. Below, we’re rounding up some of the titles to check out this Juneteenth, the holiday which recognizes the day the last slaves were emancipated in Gavelston, Texas on June 19, 1865.

FX, FXX & FXM

On Saturday, June 19, FX’s networks will commemorate the day with movie and television marathons. Beginning at 7am/6c on FX, a movie marathon consisting of the titles Selma, The Hate U Give, BlacKkKlansman, Green Book, and Hidden Figures will run. Meanwhile, several installments of the series black-ish will air on FXX beginning at 7am/6c, among which include the ABC sitcom’s notable episodes  “Juneteenth” and “Hope.” On FXM, viewers can catch the films The Hate U Give, Get Out, and Selma beginning at 3/2c on Saturday as well.

ABC

On Friday, June 18, ABC will be airing Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming (at 8/7c) followed by Juneteenth: Together We Triumph — A Soul of a National Special Event. The first, led by a team of ABC News anchors and correspondents, presents intimate stories, examining the legacy of the holiday through the current lens of political and social unrest. The second includes an interview with Former President Barack Obama. Its two hours, with Leslie Odom Jr. as guest host, will include intimate storytelling and powerful tributes with performances from Jimmie Allen, Chlöe of Chloe x Halle, Leon Bridges, and H.E.R.

CBS

The broadcast premiere of Ava Duvernay’s Selma makes its debut as part of the “CBS Sunday Night Movie” on June 20 at 8/7c. It chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965 when revered leader and visioner Dr. Martin Luther King (David Oyelowo) led thousands of nonviolent demonstrators on a campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of brutal opposition.

TBS

To honor Juneteenth, TBS kicks off the weekend on June 18 with the premiere of Friday Night Vibes (at 7:30/6:30c), spotlighting feel-good comedies, action-packed blockbusters, and culturally significant storytelling inclusive of diverse voices. Then on June 19, the network’s Juneteenth Movie Marathon features Creed (12/11c), Creed 2 (2:30/1:30c), and Black Panther (5/4c and 8/7c).

Peacock

The documentary Civil War (Or, Who Do We Think We Are) debuted on the streaming service on June 17. It was filmed from President Obama’s final year in office through the present and explores how Americans tell the story of their Civil War across the United States.

Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are)

Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are)(Peacock)

TCM

TCM celebrates black music and musicians on June 19, starting at 12/11c, with five documentaries and two narrative features. The lineup includes: Say Amen, SomebodyJazz on a Summer’s DayThelonious Monk: Straight, No ChaserJimi HendrixKrush Groove, and Sparkle, plus the short Shake!: Otis at Monterey.

PBS

Available on the PBS Video App, PBS.org, and on local channels, PBS is presenting a strong lineup of content including the documentary Slavery by Another Name (June 19), Eyes on the Prize via PBS Passport, and the six-part docuseries The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross with Henry Louis Gates Jr. (June 18). And PBS Digital Studios’ original Say It Loud returns for Season 2 with “Are Black People Truly Free? Juneteenth and the Continuing Fight For Liberation.”

History Channel

Kareem Abul-Jabbar’s documentary Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America premieres on June 19 at 8/7c. It looks at the impact key movements throughout U.S. history — including the labor movement of the 1880s, women’s suffrage and civil rights, and the LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter movements — have had in shaping our society, laws, and culture.

The Smithsonian Channel

The Smithsonian Channel will recognize the day with three video essays from writers Christopher Emdin, Jason Reynolds, and Maimouna Youssef which will air on the network. Other essays are available for viewing online from writers Jason Ford and Nic Stone. Episodes of the CBS News produced series Boiling Point will air beginning at 1/12c on June 19. The six-part documentary reexamines America’s history of systemic racism and police brutality.

Maimouna Youssef Smithsonian Channel Juneteenth

Maimouna Youssef (Credit: Courtesy of the Smithsonian Channel)

Ovation TV

On January 19, starting at 6a/5c, Ovation TV highlights the careers of Beyoncé, Whoopi GoldbergRichard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, and Muhammad Ali, celebrating the significant contributions of these Black artists who have advanced progress for all.

TIDAL

Streaming service TIDAL is teaming up with politico, lawyer, and advocate Angela Rye to present the one-hour special Triumph Over Trauma: Black Wall Street Then and Now. The title looks back on the centennial of one of the worst acts of racial violence in American history — the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. The special will arrive on the platform and on TIDAL’s YouTube page beginning at 6/5c on June 19.

TUBI

The free streaming service Tubi is commemorating the day with a collection of documentaries under the name United Against Inequality: Legacy of Juneteenth. Among the library are titles including I Am Not Your Negro, For Akheem, The Loving Story, Anita, and Back to Natural.

I Am Not Your Negro James Baldwin

I Am Not Your Negro (Credit: ©Magnolia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection)

MagellanTV

Streamer MagellanTV is presenting their own Juneteenth playlist among which include two free documentaries available June 18 through June 20. Among the titles in their slate are freebies Monumental Crossroads: Heritage, History, And Hate and The Fight for the Black Middle Class. Additionally, subscribers can stream Nat Turner and the Slave Rebellion of 1831, A Ripple of Hope, Jayhawkers: The True Story of Phog Allen and Wilt Chamberlain, and Race for Justice.