Friday April 4 Marks the 40th Anniversary of The Assassination Of Martin Luther King. There will be many tributes but Reelblack recommends you catch the following specials

VH1 Rock Docs: The Night James Brown Saved Boston

Saturday April 5 at 9PM on VH1

http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/vh1_rock_docs/134183/episode.jhtml?source=hp_today

April 5, 1968 -- the morning after one of the most catastrophic moments in American history: the assassination of Martin Luther King. The night before, America's inner cities began going up in flames. The night before, there was trouble in Roxbury, Boston's ghetto. Word on the street is that it's about to get worse. A lot worse.

At Boston's City Hall, Mayor Kevin White is trying to figure out what he can do to keep the fragile peace. Reportedly, he's about to cancel that day's biggest gathering -- a long-scheduled James Brown concert at the Boston Garden. Then, a call from one of Boston's most influential R&B DJs to the lone black city councilman points out the danger of that decision. Simply, he says, if the concert is cancelled, Boston might have the biggest uprising since the Boston Tea Party. And so, faced with the grim reality of making the wrong decision, the mayor and his team turn it around. Rather than cancel the show, they ask "Is there something James Brown can do to help?"

But on April 5, 1968, James Brown the patriot is also James Brown the businessman, so he definitely isn't in the mood to hear what Boston Mayor Kevin White is asking. Mayor White wants to know if JB will encourage his fans to stay home and watch the concert on television. In so many words, the mayor is saying, "If you'll allow this concert to be on TV tonight, your fans in Boston (code for ghetto class African-Americans) will stay home and the night will be peaceful." Meaning that unlike what might is happening in so many other cities around the country, Boston won't erupt in flames. There won't be rioting. If James will give his blessing. And he does.

Finally, 40 years after that remarkable and historic moment, VH1 Rock Docs presents "The Night James Brown Saved Boston", a film from David Leaf Productions. It tells the story of that amazing night -- with rarely seen footage of the concert (until now, that concert has been buried in the archives). Through those amazing concert moments...and with the personal reminiscences of James Brown's band members, colleagues (including his long-time manager Charles Bobbit), awe-struck concert-goers (including Newsweek's David Gates), the Boston city government officials and the pointed commentary of several distinguished observers of African-American history (Dr. Cornel West, Dr. Andrew Young, Rev. Al Sharpton) -- the dramatic and emotionally-riveting story unfolds.

King

Sunday April 6 at 8pm on the History Channel
http://www.history.com/minisites/king

Forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at age 39, a new History™ special, KING, with newsman Tom Brokaw, takes viewers on an unprecedented journey back in time and forward to today. KING goes beyond the legend to delve into the man, the questions, the myths and, most importantly, the relevance of Dr. King's message in today's world.

In a rare television interview, Dr. King's son Martin Luther King III shares his memories and thoughts about his father in the special. In an insightful conversation with Brokaw, he talks about how he carries his father's torch today by leading a new campaign against poverty called "Realizing the Dream." During the interview, he takes Brokaw into the field to show him the devastating poverty still plaguing our nation.

Some of Dr. King's closest confidants draw viewers inside his mind as he led the civil rights movement; and others from public life and entertainment speak about his indelible influence on their lives. Among those interviewed in the special are Andrew Young, Former President Bill Clinton, Harry Belafonte, Chuck D, Forest Whitaker, Rep. John Lewis and many others.

KING brings to life many aspects of his unwavering fight for civil rights: his decision to join the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama; the fateful march in Selma; his incarceration in Birmingham; the march on Washington; and his tragic death in Memphis. It shows his personal struggles and triumphs, moments of doubt and weakness, and his humility and humanity.

The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo

TUESDAY, APRIL 8 (10:00-11:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

"Rape is cheaper than bullets, with unimaginable, far-ranging consequences."

Today, in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, a crime against humanity is taking place on an unimaginable scale - hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped in the last ten years. Often carried out with impunity by gangs of armed militia, these atrocities leave survivors traumatized, shunned by society and family, and suffering lifelong health effects such as HIV. Their trials unacknowledged, the victims are shamed and invisible. As a result, the world is largely ignorant of their horrific plight and the political conditions that make it possible.

Winner of a Special Jury Prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival, THE GREATEST SILENCE: RAPE IN THE CONGO follows director Lisa F. Jackson's crusade to expose this shocking reality when it debuts TUESDAY, APRIL 8 (10:00-11:15 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Reelblack had an opportunity to preview this sensitively told and powerful film that reveals the hidden cost of war .Filmmaker Jackson, a rape survivor herself, decides to travel to the Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) with the belief that sharing her story might allow other to heal. What she discovers is beyond words. Literally hundreds of women in hospitals and camps from the age of 4 to 80 who have been raped and discarded by soldiers--many left pregnant or infected by HIV. In sharing this untold story, the hope is to help heal the spirit and help restore the nation, which relies on the strength of it's women. There are no easy answers and this may be a tough 76 minutes to endure, but you owe it to yourself to check this one out so we can stop the silence.