PRESS RELEASE:

President and Mrs. Obama will host "In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement," a PBS music special taped in the White House East Room that will air on Thursday, February 11 at 7:00 p.m. on KUED Channel 7. The concert event in honor of Black History Month features Natalie Cole, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Smokey Robinson, Seal, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Howard University Choir. Morgan Freeman and Queen Latifah will serve as emcees.

The evening will feature songs from the Civil Rights Movement performed by these top entertainers, as well as readings from famous Civil Rights speeches and writings and remarks by the President. NPR will produce a one-hour concert special from this event for broadcast nationwide on NPR Member stations throughout the month of February.

"'In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement' will provide PBS viewers with the best seat in the house for a very special evening," said PBS president and CEO Paula Kerger. "This performance special, together with our collection of Black History Month programming on PBS, reflects PBS's longstanding commitment to showcasing our nation's rich and diverse heritage."

"The songs of the Civil Rights Movement capture the spirit of that critical period so memorably. To honor these songs at the White House and in a broadcast during Black History Month is a testament to that historic period in the American story, one that continues to change our lives," said Jacquie Jones, executive director of the National Black Programming Consortium.

Associated files: