Morgan Freeman's '761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers' Sets HISTORY Channel Premiere

The HISTORY® Channel is set to premiere its new two-hour documentary “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers” on Sunday, August 20 at 8pm ET/PT.

Executive Produced by Academy Award®-winning actor Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary’s production company, Revelations Entertainment, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment, the powerful documentary will tell the true story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first Black tank unit to serve in combat during WWII, and explore in-depth the major battles they faced both overseas while in combat and back home in the United States.

The 761st Tank Battalion, better known as the first Black Panthers, was the only Black tank unit to see combat in World War II. Formed in the spring of 1942, these units of soldiers played a significant role in military operations during the war against Nazi Germany.

However, while the majority Black battalion was fighting one battle overseas, they were simultaneously fighting another in their home country – against racism, segregation, and inequality. Despite facing unprecedented adversity, these brave men lived up to their tenacious motto “Come Out Fighting” and became one of the most accomplished tank battalions is U.S. military history.

A deeply personal story for Freeman, “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers” will feature an interview with one of the last surviving members of the 761st Battalion, as well as the current and first Black Secretary of Defense, Secretary Lloyd Austin, alongside new and archival interviews, period footage, still photographs and new commentary and stories from family and relatives of the Black Panther soldiers. The documentary will also feature insights and opinions of prominent historians on WWII and experts on race and inequality in America.

“761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers” is produced for The HISTORY® Channel by Revelations Entertainment, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment. It is directed by Phil Bertelsen, who will serve as executive producer along with Morgan Freeman, James Younger, Lori McCreary and Kelly Mendelsohn for Revelations Entertainment. Richard Foster and Chet Fenster serve as executive producers for GroupM Motion Entertainment. Eli Lehrer and Jennifer Wagman serve as executive producers for The HISTORY Channel.

A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights to “761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers.” The documentary will stream the next day on history.com, The HISTORY Channel app and across major television providers’ VOD platforms.

About The HISTORY® Channel 

The HISTORY® channel, a division of A+E Networks, is the premier destination for historical storytelling. From best-in-class documentary events to a signature slate of industry leading nonfiction series and premium fact-based scripted programming, The HISTORY® Channel serves as the most trustworthy source of informational entertainment in media. The HISTORY® Channel has been named the #1 U.S. TV network in buzz for seven consecutive years by YouGov BrandIndex, and a top favorite TV network by Beta Research Corporation. 

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