CBS NEWS LIVE EXPERIENCES will bring together a group of newsmakers from the worlds of news, entertainment and sports for CBS NEWS: 50 YEARS LATER, CIVIL RIGHTS a live interactive event exploring the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act. Bob Schieffer, CBS News' Chief Washington correspondent and host of FACE THE NATION, will moderate the event, to be broadcast live Thursday, July 24, 2014 at 8:00 PM, ET/5:00 PM, PT on Smithsonian Channel and CBSNews.com, and powered by Microsoft's Bing Pulse.
Entertainer and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, author and historian Taylor Branch,
CBS Sports broadcaster James Brown, Brooklyn Nets star Jason Collins, Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, Congressman John
Lewis (D-GA), actress Rosie Perez, attorney Evan Wolfson and others will join Schieffer at the Ed Sullivan Theater to discuss how the civil rights movement of the 1960s has had a personal impact on their lives as well as on the culture, society and politics of today and tomorrow. Using their varied backgrounds, panelists will explore the powerful and tumultuous events of the summer of 1964, when three civil rights workers went missing, and were later found to have been murdered. Panelists will also share their emotional first-hand experiences of how the civil rights movement influences social reform today.
Viewers at home and those at the Ed Sullivan Theater can become part of the event by using Microsoft's Bing Pulse technology, which will allow anyone with a mobile device, tablet or computer to interact with the program by voting on questions posed to the panel and providing real-time feedback on the discussion as the event unfolds, creating a true second-screen experience for
CBS NEWS: 50 YEARS LATER, CIVIL RIGHTS.
Viewers at home and those at the Ed Sullivan Theater can become part of the event by using Microsoft's Bing Pulse technology, which will allow anyone with a mobile device, tablet or computer to interact with the program by voting on poll questions while providing panelists real-time feedback as the event unfolds, creating a true second-screen experience for
CBS NEWS: 50 YEARS LATER, CIVIL RIGHTS.
"CBS News was there reporting on the momentous events of 1964, and our commitment to coverage of the civil rights movement continues today," said
CBS News President David Rhodes. "Bob Schieffer's long experience reporting for
CBS News gives him the ideal perspective to moderate this important conversation."
"The Civil Rights Act changed the world, and
CBS News was there to report every aspect like no other network," said
CBS Live Experiences President David Goodman. "CBS NEWS: 50 YEARS LATER, CIVIL RIGHTS will take people there with a visually exciting, stimulating multimedia presentation that leverages all parts of the
CBS Corporation."
"Microsoft is working to enable a new era of participatory media with breakthrough second-screen experiences like Bing Pulse," said Josh Gottheimer, GM in Microsoft's corporate strategy group. "We're thrilled to be partnering with
CBS News to give audiences around the world the opportunity to participate in a conversation celebrating the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a watershed moment in our nation's history."
In addition to the live event, viewers will be able to experience the history through a wide array of multimedia content available at CBSNews.com/CivilRights, including testimonials from activists, politicians, and public figures in the arts, sports and business worlds about their efforts in the continuing fight for equal rights and social justice, as well as their thoughts on the civil rights figures who have inspired them. There will also be rare footage from
CBS News' coverage of the civil rights movement, including a full broadcast of Walter Cronkite's
Primetime special "The Search in Mississippi," which was presented in 1964 following the disappearance of three civil rights activists.
CBS NEWS: 50 YEARS LATER, CIVIL RIGHTS is the second in a series of multimedia immersive events created by
CBS Live Experiences to mark significant events in history. The first, which was held in February, highlighted The Beatles arrival in the U.S. in 1964.
About
CBS Live Experiences
CBS Live Experiences, the newest division of
CBS Corporation, brings CBS's popular programming and iconic content and brands to life through local, immersive experiences for audiences across the country. The events will draw on the strong assets of the
CBS Corporation, including
CBS News,
CBS Entertainment,
CBS Television Stations,
CBS Radio,
CBS Sports and
CBS Interactive to create Unforgettable, exciting, moving experiences for attendees, leading to a stronger connection between
CBS audiences and its vast content.
About
CBS News
CBS News is the news and information division of
CBS Corporation, dedicated to providing the best in journalism under standards it pioneered at the dawn of radio and television and continues to set in today's digital age. Headquartered in the
CBS Broadcast Center in New York,
CBS News includes bureaus across the globe and compelling, influential programs providing original reporting, interviews, investigations, analysis and breaking news 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
CBS News utilizes a multi-platform model for news distribution across television (CBS Television Network), radio (CBS Radio News), the Internet (CBSNews.com) and hand-held devices (CBS Mobile).
CBS News is home to the critically acclaimed, award-winning programs 60 Minutes,
CBS Evening News WITH SCOTT PELLEY,
CBS THIS MORNING, 48 HOURS,
Face The Nation and
CBS SUNDAY MORNING.
About Smithsonian Channel
Smithsonian Channel™, owned by
Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution, is where
Curiosity lives, inspiration strikes and wonders never cease. This is the place for awe-inspiring stories, powerful documentaries and amazing entertainment across multiple platforms.
Smithsonian Channel combines the storytelling prowess of SHOWTIME® with the unmatched resources and rich traditions of the Smithsonian, to create award-winning programming that shines new light on popular genres such as air and space, history, science, nature, and pop culture. Among the network's offerings are series including Aerial America, L.A. Frock Stars, Secrets, Mighty Ships, Mighty Planes and Air Disasters, as well as critically-acclaimed specials that include Civil War 360, 9/11: The Heartland Tapes; MLK: The Assassination Tapes and The Day Kennedy Died.
