With the nation on edge in the immediate aftermath of horrific events in Baton Rouge, St. Paul and Dallas, Disney Media Networks will host a landmark town hall discussion with President Barack Obama and Americans who have been directly affected by recent events. "World News Tonight" Anchor David Muir will moderate a frank and intimate conversation about race relations, justice, policing and equality, produced by ABC News.
It will include many of the people whose lives have been changed forever over the last week as the nation sees these issues play out through their eyes. "The President and The People: A National Conversation," airs Thursday, July 14 (8:00 - 9:00 pm ET/PT), simulcast commercial-free on ABC, ESPN, FREEFORM, ABC News Digital, FREEFORM Digital, WATCH ABC, WatchESPN, Yahoo, ABC News' Facebook page and YouTube channel and ABC Radio.
ESPN Commentator and co-host of ESPN2's "His and Hers" Jemele Hill will join Muir as President Obama hears from officers, parents, students, community leaders and families asking what it will take to stop the violence.
On Thursday "Nightline" will air a special edition anchored by Byron Pitts from Washington. This week "Nightline" is airing a five-part series, "America in Black and White,"covering in-depth the wide-ranging issues of race relations in America and gun violence, including a unique look at traffic stops from the perspective of officers and civilians; gun safety for civilians; law enforcement training and more. The week wraps up on Friday, July 15 with a full show dedicated to Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas' report on the epidemic of gun violence and fatalities in America.
After the town hall on Thursday, ABC News' Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst Sunny Hostin and ESPN's Lonnae O'Neal, senior writer for The Undefeated, will continue the conversation with members of the town hall audience for a digital live stream. ABC News will have ongoing coverage across all digital platforms on desktop, mobile & OTT, including reaction from viewers online and from social media. On Friday, ABCNews.com will have offer viewers a front row, 360-degree view of the town hall with a series of special virtual reality videos.
Multi-platform reporter Karen Travers will report from the town hall for ABC Radio, the largest commercial radio network in the U.S.