To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, ABC News' groundbreaking “Soul of a Nation” returns with the special “ Corazón de América - Celebrating Hispanic Culture, ” honoring the contributions and achievements of the diverse culture of the more than 60 million people who claim Latino and Hispanic heritage in the United States. Actor Benjamin Bratt and his brother Peter Bratt are set to host and direct the one-hour special, respectively, telling the stories and celebrating the culture of the Hispanic community, keeping the importance of identity and pride at the forefront of the conversation. ABC News' Sunny Hostin, Alex Perez, John Quiñones, Stephanie Ramos, Cecilia Vega and Gio Benitezwill also lead the hour, which features an interview and performance by global Reggaeton superstar Ozuna . The special will provide an understanding of the depth and beauty of the Hispanic community through stories focusing on civil rights, colorism, language, food, sports, music and more. “ Soul of a Nation Presents: Corazón de América - Celebrating Hispanic Culture ” airs Friday, Sept. 17 (8: 00-9: 00 pm EDT), on ABC and will be available the next day on demand and on Hulu.

The hour includes the following stories and conversations:

Actor John Leguizamo opens the show with a stirring original monologue.

Chief White House correspondent Cecilia Vega sits down with 91-year-old civil rights legend Dolores Huerta as she continues her fight for equality and delves into what she sees for the future of workers' rights and civil rights in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning of the past year. Vega and Huerta have an intimate conversation about lessons of the past and where Huerta plans on taking her fight in the future.

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin moves from the “Soul of a Nation” kitchen to the Bronx to enjoy cafecito with a dynamic group of Latino thought leaders and activists to discuss the often unspoken reality of colorism that affects Latinos. The conversation will focus on the importance of understanding how colonialism created racism, colorism and whiteness, which continues to impact Black, Indigenous and other communities of color today.

From the Olympics to practically every major league sport, the past year has been one where top Latino and Latina athletes have led their franchises to huge victories. Latino athletes brought back Olympic medals to the United States, and some of the biggest, most well-known and profitable athletes have been of Latino descent. In a co-production with ABC News' “Nightline,” correspondent Stephanie Ramos dives into the impact Latinos have on sports, featuring interviews with boxer Canelo Álvarez , MLB legend David “Big Papi” Ortiz and the United States Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho- Quinn , all pioneers in advocating for their communities.

Two years after the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, the fear among Latino people is still at a high level. El Paso is a setting where different storylines converge, including the historic scourge of white supremacy, the politics of the border crisis, and the blending of culture with food, faith and family. But El Paso is more than all of that. ABC News anchor and Texas native John Quiñones introduces viewers to the residents that make El Paso shine and spotlights the resilience of the city.

National Correspondent Alex Perez showcases the work Latinos are doing to reclaim their identity through language, including an east Los Angeles charter school seeing a significant increase in graduation rates after adapting to teaching the school's curriculum in English, Spanish and Nahuatl, the ancient language of the Aztecs.

Transportation Correspondent Gio Benitez interviews record-setting Reggaeton singer and songwriter Ozuna before he closes out the show from the famed Nuyorican Poets Café with his song “La Funka.”

" Soul of a Nation Presents: Corazón de América - Celebrating Hispanic Culture " is executive produced by Catherine McKenzie and Dax Tejera. Peter Bratt is director, and Marie Nelson is the series creator of “Soul of a Nation” and senior vice president of Integrated Content Strategy at ABC News.

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