CBS News Presents 'The Power Of August'
The month of August may normally be characterized by its scorching, end-of-summer heat, but it's also the time of year when some of the most significant events in the history of civil rights took place. CBS News explores this phenomenon in a a powerful, new documentary special called The Power Of August.
The Power of August is a one-hour special that explores the transformational moments in civil rights history that happened in the month of August. Anchored by Maurice DuBois with Vladimir Duthiers, Mark Strassman, Wes Lowery and Michelle Miller, the special features four acts, each told in 8 minutes and 46 seconds – the duration of time a Minneapolis police officer had his knee on George Floyd’s neck. Each act explores stories of powerful and historic August events — beginning with Emmett Till’s murder, and then the March on Washington, the Voting Rights Act, Hurricane Katrina, President Obama’s nomination, and Ferguson - all leading up to today’s moment, when America is about to vote for a President.
The special is the first project under CBS Television Studios’ partnership with the NAACP, to create both scripted and unscripted content.
“The Power Of August is a tribute to the life-changing events that eerily took place in the same month. Looking back at these important anniversaries offers a deep history of our nation and the roots of systemic racism and the starts and stops of progress the nation has experienced throughout the last several decades,” said Kim Godwin, CBS News Executive vice president of news who also serves as executive producer of the documentary special.
“We view the historic concurrence of August events over the last 65 years as a way to tell the story of the civil rights struggle in America,” said Alvin Patrick, executive producer for CBS
News’ Race and Culture Unit, and also an executive producer of The Power Of August. “Some events are tragic, and others are triumphant, but the collective power of the story of August is undeniable.”
“This special, which features a collaboration of impactful reporting and storytelling from journalists across CBS News, will give our viewers crucial context to better understand the present moment in our nation and how we got here,” said Darius Walker, vice president and senior executive producer, CBSN.
The Power Of August will stream live on CBSN, CBS News’ 24/7 digital streaming news service, on Friday, August 28, at 8:00 PM, ET.
