Saturday on TV – 6/19/21

Tonight is a 1-hour special, Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America, on History Channel at 8/7c. Public protest has always forced our country to take an uncompromising look at itself to judge if we are on the right course. Civil disobedience created this country in 1776 and continues to serve as a charged impetus for change in the 21st century. From Executive Producers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Deborah Morales comes Fight the Power: The Movements that Changed America. Through Abdul-Jabbar’s unique and personal lens as a social justice advocate and observer, we look at the movements, the moments and the legendary leaders of some of this country’s most pivotal public protests and how they have shaped our society, laws and culture. From the birth of the labor movement and women’s suffrage to the fight for civil rights, LGTBQ+ equality and the Black Lives Matter movement, protest is in the American DNA and this documentary gives an unfiltered look at the ways it has evolved the world in which we live.
 
Tonight features 4 30-minute specials on BET, BET Her Presents: Queen Collective 2020. First up at 9/8c is “A Song of Grace.” Twelve-year-old composer Grace Moore navigates the challenges of today’s world and writes a new composition, making a space for herself in classical music and sharing her gift. Then at 9:30/8:30c is “Game Changer.” Tanya Depass, a lifelong Chicagoan and African-American gamer, fights to make gaming better and more inclusive for everyone. Then at 10/9c is “Change the Name.” Young Black freedom fighters and their educators are the first folks in the country to change the name of a park from a slaveholder to abolitionists Anna and Frederick Douglass in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood. Finally at 10:30/9:30c is “Black Birth.” A lyrical journey of Black expectant mothers, including the filmmaker, building community in hopes of safely navigating pregnancy in the U.S.
 
Tonight is the Hallmark movie Her Pen Pal at 9/8c. Event planner Victoria (Mallory Jansen) can’t wait to attend –- and plan –- her best friend’s wedding in Paris. But when she finds out her ex is bringing a date, Victoria reconnects with her French childhood pen pal (Josh Sasse).