'Power of Women: Frontline Heroes' special hosted by Robin Roberts postponed to honor George Floyd protests
Due to the ongoing protests in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, 'Lifetime Presents Variety's Power of Women: Frontline Heroes', the one-hour special celebrating the women who are serving on the frontlines of the pandemic has been pushed to a later date.
'Power of Women: Frontline Heroes' will now air on June 25. As announced, the one-hour special will be virtually hosted by 'Good Morning America' anchor Robin Roberts. Variety writes that the event has been pushed "in deference to recent cultural and societal events," and that the special will now air on Thursday, June 25 at 10 pm ET/PT on Lifetime and Variety's Facebook page.
The one-hour special will spotlight the women healthcare workers, teachers, researchers, and more "who are putting themselves at risk to make a difference and working towards finding a solution in this crisis." It will also introduce viewers to women fighting domestic abuse and homelessness and creating change in education, mental health, and other aspects of our daily lives. Past and present Power of Women honorees will also participate, celebrating "these remarkable women, their extraordinary work, and their dedication to their communities during this incredibly challenging time."
Variety's 2020 Power of Women honorees includes Cate Blanchett, who works with the UN Refugee Agency; Patti LuPone, who supports the HIV/AIDS fundraiser Broadway Cares and Janelle Monáe, who is involved with community development non-profit Local Initiative Support Corp.
The special will also feature a performance by Grammy Award-nominated Andra Day.
The special serves to celebrate women as well as raise contributions for the United Nations Foundation/World Health Organization's Covid-19 Solidarity Fund. Facebook has pledged $10M in matching funds and viewers will have the opportunity to add to the donations during the event. Previous honorees Laverne Cox, Jennifer Garner, Tiffany Haddish, Gigi Hadid, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Nicole Kidman, Blake Lively, Helen Mirren and Natalie Portman will also pay tribute to these women through self-shot material.
On May 25, 46-year-old George Floyd died at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin when the latter kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Floyd's death has sparked national and international protests calling for an end to police brutality, especially against black people and other people of color. On Tuesday, June 9, a funeral service for George Floyd was held in his hometown of Houston, Texas where thousands honored Floyd and vowed to continue fighting for change. The service was held at The Fountain of Praise church.
"So much for social distancing today," the Rev. Remus Wright, the church's senior pastor, said to the crowd. "Obviously it's a lot more people than we thought." Mia Wright, the co-pastor, said, "This is a moment by which God has gathered people all around the world to connect us around the life of the brother George Perry Floyd."
“This will be a home-going celebration of brother George Floyd," Wright told mourners. "We may weep, we may mourn, but we will find hope."