SiriusXM honours Juneteenth with exclusive specials featuring iconic Black artists, athletes & more

SiriusXM is honouring Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, with exclusive specials dedicated to informing and educating listeners about the significance of the U.S. holiday while also celebrating Black voices across entertainment, business, health, and beyond. See the full programming list below, and start listening to some of the specials now.

Juneteenth is the oldest celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, two and half years after the delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation, Black people in Texas learned that they were freed by executive decree. The observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Juneteenth Facts with Kirk Franklin

Kirk Franklin, a choir director, gospel singer, songwriter, 16-time GRAMMY Award winner, and much more, is honouring the importance of Juneteenth with an educational event about the most recently instated federal holiday on his very own SiriusXM channel. Tune in to Kirk Franklin’s Praise (Ch. 64) to hear Franklin — best known for his expertise in leading urban contemporary choirs — celebrate Juneteenth, the day chains were broken and ancestors were set free, with prominent speakers like Ms. Opal Lee, Phylicia Rashad, Robert Randolph, and others. Hear their thoughts on what Juneteenth really means every hour of Saturday, June 19th starting at 6 am ET.

Tom Morello’s One-Man Revolution

Tom Morello, legendary rocker and Rage Against the Machine frontman, has been making revolutionary anthems about social justice, fighting the power, and beyond for decades. During a special Juneteenth episode of his show One-Man Revolution, Morello discussed the gravity of the holiday complete with stories spanning his career. Catch the episode anytime on the SiriusXM app.

Prisms: The Sound of Color

The Bridge (Ch. 32) and The Village (Ch. 741) are airing a special Village Folk Show episode dedicated to celebrating Juneteenth with co-hosts Reggie Harris, Carol Maillard of Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Chris Pierce. Village Folk Show regularly highlights the best of folk, both new and old, which has been undeniably impacted by Black history, from call-and-response spirituals to civil rights protest songs to gospel music. Don’t miss the special when it airs on The Village on Thursday, June 17 at 8 am and 12 pm ET and Saturday, June 19th at 10 am ET, as well as anytime on the SiriusXM app.

Black College Football Hall of Fame Inductee Show

On Friday, June 18th at 7 pm ET, pay tribute to college football greats with a round of SiriusXM NFL Radio (Ch. 88) interviews featuring 2021 inductees to the Black College Football Hall of Fame, including Jimmie Giles, Roynell Young, Greg Coleman, and Coach Willard Bailey. The show will also honour Coy Bacon and Winston Hill, two posthumous inductees. After its premiere, hear the interviews again when they air on Friday, June 18th at 11 pm ET, Saturday, June 19th at 9 am and 6 pm ET, and Sunday, June 20th at 7 am and 8 pm ET.

A Juneteenth Remembrance and Celebration

Symphony Hall (Ch. 76), SiriusXM’s home for classical music, is honouring the contributions of Black Americans in the genre. Historically, Black artists can be credited with changing the course of the orchestra and beyond. On Saturday, June 19th at 8 pm ET, hear music from Florence Price (the first Black American woman to have her music performed by a symphony orchestra; particularly music inspired by Southern Black churches), William Grant Still (dubbed “The Dean” of African American composers), Jessie Montgomery, Adolphus Hailstork, and others.

Legendary Opera Encores

In 1935, Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess debuted on stage in Boston with an all-Black cast of classically trained singers, a rare artistic choice at the time. In honour of the show’s rise to fame, eventually becoming one of the best known and most frequently performed operas, Met Opera Radio (Ch. 355) is airing an encore performance from the 2019 season-opening, as well as a 1996 broadcast of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, starring Reri Grist, a pioneering international coloratura soprano, and George Shirley, the first Black tenor to perform a leading role at the Metropolitan Opera. Both will air throughout the week leading up to, as well as on, Juneteenth.

SoulCycle’s Juneteenth Playlist

In celebration of Juneteenth, Senior SoulCycle instructor Cat G will be getting listeners in formation with a high-energy playlist of Black anthems while discussing the importance of the holiday and the significance behind each song. Hear the SoulCycle Radio (Ch. 4) Juneteenth Playlist when it kicks off on Saturday, June 19th at 1 pm and 8 pm ET or anytime on the SiriusXM app after its premiere.

Forward Progress

Forward Progress, the weekly show dedicated to important conversations about racial injustice and how it correlates to the sports world (particularly sports that feature a majority of Black athletes), is zeroing in on Juneteenth for a special holiday episode. Featuring special guest NFL tight end Ben Watson, the show will educate listeners on the history of the holiday and its meaning. Hear it when it kicks off on SiriusXM NBA Radio (Ch. 86) Thursday, June 17th at 1 pm ET, as well as anytime on the SiriusXM app.

A Juneteenth Poem

To honour the holiday, Black children’s book author Alice Faye Duncan, known for the NAACP Award-winning book Honey Baby Sugar Child and others reflecting Black stories, will join Absolutely Mindy on Saturday, June 19th at 7 am ET to share an original and moving Juneteenth poem via Kids Place Live (Ch. 78).

Two-Show Day with Norm Lewis

Norm Lewis — who starred in Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods, Scandal, and is the first-ever Black actor to play the titular role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway — will be hosting the Two-Show Day on On Broadway (Ch. 72), the show dedicated to sharing the spotlight with a special guest from the Great White Way. During the show, Lewis will play some of his favourite show tunes, many of which feature fellow founding members of Black Theatre United (formed last June), and share insights and stories about each. Hear his episode of Two-Show Day on Saturday, June 19th at 9 am and 5 pm ET.

Black Economic Legacies

On SiriusXM Patriot (Ch. 125), Tea Party activist and host Sonnie Johnson — who serves up a weekly mix of policy talk and street-level tactics — will interview four Black financial investors from Texas, Philadelphia, and Baltimore to discuss buying back city blocks, achieving economic independence, and leaving an economic legacy on Saturday, June 19th at 1 pm ET and Sunday, June 20 at 2 pm ET.

Diversity in Children’s Health

With conversations about the racial disparities in mental healthcare on the rise, About Our Kids will host a special segment about discussing diversity and Black history with children. This special episode of the child psychiatry series on Doctor Radio (Ch. 110) can be heard anytime on the SiriusXM app.

Black History 365: An Inclusive Account of American History

SiriusXM Patriot (Ch. 125) will also feature a special episode of David Webb’s daily show with guests Dr. Walter Milton and Dr. Joel Freeman to discuss Black History 365: An Inclusive Account of American History, an educational curriculum and textbook dedicated to telling unique stories of Black people, groups, and culture throughout the U.S. complete with rarely taught lessons that were developed by Milton and Freeman. Hear Webb’s show on Friday, June 18th at 9 am ET with replays throughout the day on Saturday, June 19th.