The Smithsonian Channel will premiere “How We Got Here: The History of Conflict in America” on Saturday, January 23 at 3 pm EST/PT. The special evening of programming will serve as a time capsule to travel through monumental points in history, burgeoning movements, unsung heroes, and isolated events that intertwine to shape the conflicts in America’s history.
“Smithsonian Channel’s vast library of documentary material includes coverage of pivotal moments in the history of our country,” said James F. Blue III, Senior Vice President of Smithsonian Channel & MTV News and Docs, in an official statement. “I am immensely proud to present a slate of films, carefully curated by our incredible team of storytellers, that highlight historical moments of conflict in the United States and how the American people faced them.”
The award-winning lineup includes nine one-hour long documentaries beginning with the foreign interference of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s reelection by the Nazis and journeys into how former first ladies of the United States aimed to expand their role to champion women’s rights, ending on the fever pitch that sparked the L.A. Riots. The program will delve into the origins and aftermath of desegregation, police brutality, LGBTQ+ equality, the tumultuous impeachment of Bill Clinton, and the assassination of civil rights luminary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“In gaining a better understanding of past conflicts, we are better equipped to tackle the serious challenges we face today. It is our privilege to contribute to the national conversation in this way,” said Blue III.
With a nation marked by teeming racial tensions and political polarization, the series of documentaries will journey from America’s past to discover how it can navigate it’s present and future.
Check out the schedule below:
3pm: America’s Hidden Stories: Hitler’s US Election Plot
4pm: America in Color: The 1960s
5pm: Smithsonian Time Capsule: 1968
6pm: Smithsonian Time Capsule: Beyond Stonewall
7pm: Walk Against Fear: James Meredith
8pm: MLK: The Assassination Tapes
9pm: First Ladies Revealed: Twists of Fate
10pm: The Lost Tapes: Clinton Impeachment
11pm: The Lost Tapes: LA Riots
