MTV will go Black-and-White for 12 Hours to Promote "Conversations on Race"

In celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, MTV will air 12 hours of programming in black-and-white starting at 9:00 am ET/PT. The channel's decision was a part of its latest campaign, known as #TheTalk.

"Underlying some of the blindness around bias and prejudice is a lack of understanding of the history - of why we are where we are today," MTV President Stephen Friedman told The Huffington Post. "That's why Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is so critical. It's a day when we're immersed in the history and his great legacy, and we can look back at how far we've come and, very importantly, look ahead at how far we still need to go."

The campaign, according to the Post, "is a strong effort attempting to eliminate bias by inviting and encouraging others, especially millennials, to join the discussion and have candid and 'color brave' conversations on race."

As part of the campaign, each commercial block will feature iconic culture or political figures, who will share their thoughts and personal opinions on the subject of race relations within the United States.

MTV.com detailed the day's event, writing on their website:

"On Monday, January 19th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, MTV is going black-and-white to spark a conversation about where we've been and how far we have yet to go. We've got Kendrick Lamar, Pete Wentz, Rick Ross, Penn Badgley, Big Sean, Common, Jordin Sparks, and more sitting down to give their thoughts on the conversations they've had about race. They'll be joined by young people and activists from around the country, as well as politicians like Senator Cory Booker, Senator Rand Paul, and Congressman John Lewis, who marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years ago this spring."

Below is a clip of rapper and songwriter Lamar sharing his story:

This is the first time any network has chosen to go black-and-white for half of the day. This is not MTV's first attempt to talk about diversity and race. In April, MTV launched the "Look Different" project that has aired several 'specials' addressing discrimination across several boards, which included race, gender and sexuality. #theTalk is an expansion of that project.

"We hope it will be a stark and eye-opening moment to understand on one level how far we've come, but also to hear from national figures how much things have not changed and how far we need to go," Friedman added. "I think the audience will be surprised."

MTV is encouraging everyone to share their story by using the hashtag, #TheTalk.