A racially provocative documentary that tells the true story of a black man's exploration into his family’s history as slaves will debut Friday night on MSNBC.

The world premiere of "Meeting David Wilson" will be hosted by "Today" correspondent Tiki Barber and be followed by a 90-minute live discussion of racial issues in America, moderated by NBC’s Brian Williams, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

"In some ways we’ve never talked more about race in America," Mark Whitaker, senior vice president of NBC News, said in a commentary he wrote for MSNBC. But, he said: "There has been virtually no debate in this campaign about how to tackle the crisis of inner-city black men, millions of whom are locked in a vicious cycle of criminality and incarceration."

MSNBC’s Web site explains that "'Meeting David Wilson' tracks Wilson’s journey to North Carolina to meet David B. Wilson, a descendant of the white Southern family that owned his ancestors during the slavery era."

Wilson, now 30, a veteran of ABC, CBS and Fox News, said the documentary was "about creating a dialogue for America as a whole."

Indeed, after it premieres, radio personality Tom Joyner will participate in a conversation alongside panelists that include author Michael Eric Dyson, Rev. Dr. DeForest Soaries, Baptist minister, politician, author and public advocate, Malaak Compton-Rock, philanthropist and wife of Chris Rock, Kevin Powell, noted urban/hip hop historian and journalists and Kriss Turner, screenwriter,  who wrote the interracial romance, "Something New," starring Sanaa Lathan.

The group will tackle some of the issues raised in the documentary about African-American men. They will look at the public perceptions fueled by media images, unemployment, lack of educational opportunities and the impact of the criminal justice system. They will also talk about what it takes to succeed as an black man in this country.

"We lead by example and teach our children that it’s their duty to give back," Joyner said. "Children need to know their history, and they need to love themselves and be proud of who they are and who their ancestors were."

"If they have a true love for black people they will want to serve," he added. "I think the word leader scares people. They think being a leader means they need to head up a huge movement. Instead of a generation of black leaders, we need a generation of black people who have the desire to serve and uplift their community."

According to MSNBC, "David Wilson was a 28-year-old African-American man from Newark, New Jersey. He grew up in a tough, urban neighborhood, but managed to navigate his way out of poverty and into the world of news production in New York City. Now, meet another David Wilson: a 62-year-old white man from rural North Carolina. He grew up in Caswell County, where his ancestors once farmed tobacco. He now operates a small chain of BBQ restaurants in nearby Reidsville. Although they have never met, the two men share more than just a name."

In "Meeting David Wilson," the filmmaker recounts his first contact with his namesake.

"I called there, and I eventually spoke with him, and I said: ‘Hello, Mr. David Wilson?’ And he said: ‘Yes?’ And I said, ‘Well, my name is David Wilson, and I believe your family once owned mine.’ He paused for a second and said: ‘Well, that could be.’ It was the most uncomfortable feeling I’ve ever had."

Wilson's story resonated deeply with the film's corporate sponsors.

"Partnering with NBC on 'Meeting David Wilson' is not only exciting, but also has a great deal of historical value," the Ford Motor Company's Crystal Greene said in a statement. "David Wilson's story is also a Ford story, as members of his own family came north to work for Ford in the hopes of a better life."

"We believe NBC/MSNBC chose Howard as the host venue for this important look at one young black man’s journey to discover his past and the subsequent discussion on race for much of the same reasons that Tavis Smiley’s Democratic presidential debate was held here, that Sen. Barack Obama agreed to give the keynote address to open this year’s academic year and that Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick in March decided to help the university mark the 141st anniversary of its founding," Jennifer Pryor, spokeswoman for Howard, told BlackAmericaWeb.com Thursday.

Meanwhile, Joyner said the issue of race in America still matters in 2008.

"I don’t understand how people could think race wouldn’t matter," he said. "Yes, African-Americans have made lots of progress. But if you look at the statistics, we still earn less, save less, drop out of school more and suffer with more life-threatening diseases than white Americans."