In celebration of Black History Month, the White House Office of Public Engagement hosted a panel and screening event for WGN America’s “Underground,” the upcoming original series, produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios, set to premiere Wednesday, March 9 on WGN America. The February 22 White House event was attended by Senior Administration Officials including Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to the President of the United States of America, who welcomed attendees with opening remarks about the powerful and gripping new series being a perfect fit for the Black History Month event entitled “These Hallowed Grounds and Underground Screening.”

Cast and creative team from WGN America’s “Underground” participated in two panel discussions that included executive producers John Legend and Akiva Goldsman, creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and director and executive producer Anthony Hemingway, and cast including Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Aldis Hodge, Christopher Meloni, Alano Miller, Jessica de Gouw and Amirah Vann, along with president and general manager, WGN America/ Tribune Studios, Matt Cherniss. The event was also attended by Peter Liguori, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tribune Media Company and Zack Van Amburg and Jamie Erlicht, Presidents, Programming & Production, Sony Pictures Television, as well as leadership from the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).

“Underground” production team and Matt Cherniss, president and general manager for WGN America/ Tribune Studios, join moderator Jeff Johnson for a discussion prior to a screening of the new original series premiering March 9. Pictured left to right: Akiva Goldsman, executive producer; John Legend, executive producer; Misha Green, creator and executive producer; Joe Pokaski, creator and executive producer; Jeff Johnson, panel moderator; Anthony Hemingway, executive producer and director; Matt Cherniss, president and general manager for WGN America/ Tribune Studios (PRNewsFoto/WGN America)