MTV has long led the way in shaping American popular culture; the network is once again stepping up at a crucial moment to be a force for dialogue. A new initiative called #TheTalk is designed to encourage young viewers to spark conversations about race with family and friends.
Participants include artists such as Common, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Penn Badgley, Jordin Sparks, Pete Wentz and political figures like Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. John Lewis, and Sen. Cory Booker.
“Our audience is looking for a way to bring the national conversation on race into their homes and this campaign will give them a forum to express true color bravery,” said MTV prexy Stephen Friedman. The new show is a major move by network leadership to address an issue that's crucially important to its viewership at a particularly contentious moment. #TheTalk will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET/PT tonight, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and kicks off a 12-hour block where all programming will air in black and white for the first time in the network’s history.
