A+E Networks and iHeartMedia announced today that they will present “Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America” (working title) and the one-hour special, “Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America,” on Friday, November 20, starting at 8PM ET/PT.  

The concert will be recorded at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA on Wednesday, November 18th. The two-hour special event will air across the entire A+E Networks portfolio, including A&E, HISTORY, Lifetime, H2, LMN and FYI, as well as on iHeartMedia broadcast radio stations nationwide and the iHeartRadio digital platform. The concert will kick off A+E Networks’ campaign to confront issues of race, and promote unity and progress on racial equity, inspired by the response of the Mother Emanuel family members in Charleston and others working for reconciliation and change around the country.

Zac Brown Band, Eric Church, Jamie Foxx, Rhiannon Giddens, Tori Kelly, John Legend, Miguel, Pink, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Sia, Bruce Springsteen, Sting and Pharrell Williams, will join together to perform, including a once-in-a-lifetime series of duets, focused on creating reconciliation and positive change in local communities. Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

“As a global media company, A+E Networks has the privilege of being invited into the homes of millions of Americans every day and believe that it is our responsibility to use this incredible platform to inform as well as entertain.  By shining a light on the uncomfortable truth that racial inequity and bias still impact our society, we are looking to inspire people to go beyond short-lived, symbolic gestures,” said Nancy Dubuc, President & CEO of A+E Networks.

Immediately following the concert at 10pm ET/PT, A&E Network will air the one-hour special, “Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America,” (working title) featuring artists engaging a diverse group of residents in local communities at the center of the national conversation on racial inequality and violence, including Charleston, Baltimore, Chicago and Ferguson. Artists, including Pharrell Williams and John Legend, will spark solutions-focused conversations with community members with varying perspectives, including family members of victims, community leaders, law enforcement officials, clergy and organizations seeking to empower communities by fostering understanding, eliminating bias and addressing inequities that break along racial lines.  

"The current racial situation in America is at a critical point,” said executive producer Ken Ehrlich. “Today’s musical artists, much like those of the civil rights movement’s history, have strong feelings about what’s going on today, and we’re hopeful that ‘Shining a Light’ does, in fact, give a voice to their concerns, their hopes, and their thinking about solutions to the alarming events that we see around us every day.”

“We’re delighted to play a role with these amazing and committed artists to support such an important event for the benefit of our communities across America,” said Rich Bressler, President, COO and CFO of iHeartMedia, Inc.

The concert and the ancillary programming will help raise money for the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by United Way Worldwide. The fund will provide grant funding to individuals and organizations fostering understanding, eliminating bias, as well as provide support to Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church and the broader A.M.E. denomination. The fund will support efforts to address racism and bias through public policy change, individual innovation, and community mobilization. 

Tickets for the concert on November 18 will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, October 28 at 1pm ET through AEG Live at AXS.com and shrineauditorium.com. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Fund for Progress on Race in America powered by The United Way Worldwide.

“Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America” is produced by Ken Ehrlich Productions in conjunction with A+E Networks and iHeartMedia. 

“Shining a Light: Conversations on Race in America” is produced by Lincoln Square Productions and Ken Ehrlich Productions in conjunction with A&E Network.

Follow “Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America” via #ShiningALight and on Twitter @ShiningLightNow and Facebook.com/ShiningLightNow.