TV ONE'S NEWSONE NOW REMEMBERS ''ROOTS" WITH SPECIAL BROADCAST ON MAY 27, 2016 AT 7

TV One's NewsOne Now will focus on the importance of HISTORY's upcoming event series remake of "Roots," and how the American classic series has shaped the future of the Black community, during a 7-8 a.m. ET broadcast on May 27. Footage and interviews from The White House's recent day-long exploration of how American stories are found, will be featured. NewsOne Now's broadcast will also include a series of group interviews with "Roots" cast members and producers, including Tony Award® winner Anika Noni Rose, Co-Executive Producer LeVar Burton, Executive Producers Will Packer and Mark Wolper, Directors Phillip Noyce and Mario Van Peebles and A+E Networks President and CEO Nancy Dubuc.

The stellar cast of the special broadcast of "Roots" includes Academy Award winners Forest Whitaker ("Fiddler") and Anna Paquin ("Nancy Holt"); Academy Award nominee and Emmy Award winner Laurence Fishburne ("Alex Haley"); Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose ("Kizzy"); Grammy Award winner Tip "T.I." Harris ("Cyrus"); Derek Luke ("Silla Ba Dibba"); Mekhi Phifer ("Jerusalem"), and introducing Rege-Jean Page ("Chicken George") and Malachi Kirby ("Kunta Kinte").

During host and managing editor Roland S. Martin’s interview with Will Packer, he asked the "Roots" executive producer about the lasting effect the new event series will have on this generation. "It's really for the brothers and the sisters who hadn't seen the first one, but think they know the story," said Packer. "It's also for those who don't want to be faced with another narrative of our journey, but need to be because it's compelling and important. You can't move forward in the right direction within your community without truly acknowledging your history."

NewsOne Now also captured Rose, who plays "Kizzy," explaining "Roots" as not just a remake but a reimagining of an African-American classic. "People have a picture of Africa now and then; that is a place of deprivation or a place of less than and that simply is not the case. It was the first place of beginning, the first library, the first university. We are able to utilize this story in a much more thorough way and not because Mr. Haley didn't do all that he could. We are now being able to utilize his story and are able to tell the story in a more complete fashion."

"The original 'Roots' for the late 1970s was the best it could be for them.

I believe that we have made this 'Roots' the best it could be today."

- Executive Producer Mark Wolper

(Article Content/Video Contents: Courtesy of TV One)

For more information about News One Now and Roland S. Martin, visit www.tvone.tv and www.newsone.com and check out TV One'sYouTube Channel. Viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram, andFacebook (@tvonetv) using #NewsOneNow and can engage with Martin daily via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, andPeriscope (@rolandsmartin).