VIDEO: 'Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort'

BET, in partnership with TIDAL, global music and entertainment platform, will live-stream the “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” special for free on TIDAL.com or view live-stream video below. TIDAL members and non-members will be able to tune-in live starting at 8:00 pm EST. Additionally, Pluto TV, the leading free streaming television service in the US, will live-stream the special at 8 pm EST on Wednesday, April 22. Following the broadcast premiere, the encore of “SAVING OUR SELVES: A BET COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORT,” will be available on BET+ Thursday, April 23.

Anthony Anderson, Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall announced as hosts for the two-hour special and previously announced performances include Alicia Keys with a special tribute to New York City, and a Gospel moment with Kirk Franklin featuring Fantasia, Jonathan McReynolds, Kelly Price, Le’Andria Johnson, and Melvin Crispell III.  Also featuring exclusive performances by John Legend, Usher, Jhene Aiko, Chloe X Halle, H.E.R., Ella  Mai, Jermaine Dupri, Ludacris, Swae Lee, Anthony Hamilton, Tyrese Gibson, Buju Banton, DJ D-Nice, SiR,  D Smoke, and Charlie Wilson. And celebrity guest appearances by  Halle Berry, Tiffany Haddish, Ciara, Don Cheadle, Deon Cole, Angela Rye, Dr. Rheeda Walker, Charlamagne Tha God, Symone D. Sanders, DJ Khaled and Chance The Rapper.

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET and Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment will serve as Executive Producers for the “Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort” broadcast special.

Recent data established that the COVID-19 pandemic is infecting and killing black people in the United States at disproportionately high rates, compounding existing racial disparities in resources, health and wellness and access to medical care. To speak to these issues, BET News in partnership with Facebook and CBS News announced a primetime news special “BET News and Facebook Present: COVID-19: Black America’s Fight,” airing commercial-free Wednesday, April 22 at 7 PM ET on BET, BET HER and streamed BET & BET News’ Facebook Pages. Anchored by CBS News’ Gayle King and a team of CBS News correspondents, the one-hour special will address in original interviews and taped packages, the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on the African American community and provide helpful and accurate information for viewers looking to protect themselves and their families from the epidemic's spread.

The focus of the initiatives is to assist those disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Recent findings have shown that Black Americans are being disproportionately harmed by the health and financial devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

BET, in partnership with the NAACP, United Way Worldwide, CBS News, leaders in the African American creative, civil rights and business communities will provide critical financial, educational and community support directly to the African Americans hardest hit by this crisis. Corporate brand donors who have generously contributed to the fund include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AARP, Pine-Sol®, Morgan Stanley, TJ Maxx, BNY Mellon, WW(formerly Weight Watchers), NBA, and Popeyes.  Additionally, the fund has received contributions from individual donors and grants from Blue Meridian Partners and The Ford Foundation. 

Through the support of generous donors, BET has a new challenge grant which will match additional donations made during the duration of the special broadcast- up to $2 million.

Immediately following the Saving Our Selves linear broadcast, BET Digital will be live-streaming the ‘Saving Our Selves After Show’ at 10 pm EST on BET’s YouTube, Facebook and Twitter channels. Hosted by Devale Ellis (BET’s ‘Sistas’) and his wife, social media influencer, Khadeen Ellis, the S.O.S After Show will take an interactive look back at the impactful message and celebrity moments in BET’s groundbreaking S.O.S relief broadcast.

You can donate to the fund online via BET.com or by texting BETGives to 51555.  For more details, visit BET.com/COVID19.