CENTRIC Presents THE 2012 GREAT DEBATE Premiering Sunday, August 5 At 10:00 a.m. EDT/7:00 a.m. PDT

NEW YORK, Aug. 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Renowned orators, community leaders and the DC African-American community gathered at the historic Lincoln Theatre located in Washington, DC in celebration of the freeing of slaves in Washington, DC with THE 2012 GREAT DEBATE,  premiering August 5 at 10:00 A.M. EDT/ 7:00 A.M. PDT. Nine months before the Emancipation Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln freed the enslaved workers and laborers of DC, making them the first freed by the federal government. And in 1858, there were a series of debates between Democratic nominee Lincoln and his Republican opponent addressing many issues affecting the country at that time.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120517/NE09028LOGO )

THE 2012 GREAT DEBATE will address key matters affecting African-Americans today including Education, Health care, Unemployment, Housing, Gentrification, Criminal justice, Economics, Small business development, 2012 Elections, Voting, and the future of Black America. The four debaters rounding out the panel are minister/civil rights activist/radio & television host Rev. Al Sharpton, Georgetown University professor/author Michael Eric Dyson, minister/civil rights activist/radio & television host Dr. Julianne Malveaux and pastor/Republican political analyst Joe Watkins. BET Networks' TJ Holmes will moderate the session where each panelist has ten minutes to state their position on a topic and five minutes will be allocated for rebuttals.

For additional information on CENTRIC's 2012 GREAT DEBATE, go to http://www.centrictv.com/. Join the conversation on social media by logging on to CENTRIC's multiple social media platforms:

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About CENTRIC
Centric is a 24-hour music and entertainment channel that reflects the lifestyle and sophistication of today's African-American and multicultural adult viewer.  With a finger on the pulse of an ever-changing beat, its compelling music content fuses Soul, R&B, Neo-Soul, Hip Hop, Reggae, Gospel, Jazz, Old School, New School and everything in between with today's hottest artists. It is a unique mix of music, culture and lifestyle programming that embodies the lives, tastes and aspirations of the CENTRIC viewer: All you. All day. All night.

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