ESPN Presents Content of Character in Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.   In honor of this special day, ESPN is using its many platforms to celebrate Dr. King's life and legacy by producing special content aimed at examining the state of African Americans within the realm of sports. 

ESPN's weeklong initative, Content of Character, began on Tuesday and culminates Monday, January 17th, the day we honor Dr. King as a nation.  Content of Character is a multi-pronged and platform approach of profiling African Americans in sports, probing how Black athletes are perceived by society, as well as the progress that has been made by diversifying talent among the ranks of college and professional administration and executives, and in some cases, identifying continued areas of improvement.  All of this will be explored via vignettes aired during studio shows, Outside the Lines, SportsNation, ESPN.com, ESPN Radio and ESPN the Magazine.

However, I'm most interested in watching tomorrow's National Town Hall Meeting, which airs from 6-8p.m. ET on ESPN.  According to ESPN, here's what's in store. 

Hosted by Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts and Outside the Lines’  Bob Ley, this two-hour special discussion will focus on the topic of the current image of the black athlete.  Movie producer and noted sports fan Spike Lee will serve as executive producer and as one of the panelists, live from the New Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dr. King’s spiritual home. The panel will consist of athletes, coaches and entertainers including ESPN commentator Michael Wilbon, Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari, current WNBA Tulsa Shock player and world champion track & field athlete Marion Jones and former University of Miami football coach Randy Shannon. John Legend's newly recorded cover of Harold Melvin's "Wake Up Everybody," with vocals by Melanie Fiona and Common, will be used as the theme music.

ESPN.com’s comprehensive coverage of the National Town Hall Meeting will be highlighted by reports in the Cover It Live chat room – blogging and answering fans questions, some as part of the televised event. Cover It Live participants include JA Adande, LZ Granderson, Jemele Hill, Amy Nelson, Rick Reilly and Gene Wojciechowski.

How deep will ESPN delve into this subject matter?  Will the town hall be a regurgitation of what's been covered about Michael Vick, Tiger Woods, Kobe Bryant, and Lebron James for the past few years, or will they peel the layers back a little further and uncover something new for us to consider?  Will ESPN admit their role in shaping the images of many of these athletes or will they attempt to absolve themselves of any responsibility and remain unbiased? I guess we'll find out tomorrow at 6pm on ESPN.  Be sure to tune in.


Until then, check out the vignettes ESPN has produced featuring some of your favorite athletes and sports figures including Phil Jackson, Maya Moore, Mike Ditka, Cam Newton, Landon Donovan and many more,  sharing what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. means to them.