From Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black (“Milk,” 2008), “When We Rise” chronicles the real-life personal and political struggles, setbacks and triumphs of a diverse family of LGBTQ people who helped pioneer one of the last legs of the U.S. equality movement from its turbulent infancy in the 20th century to today. Click through our gallery above for your sneak peek at ABC’s new limited series before it premiers on Monday, February 27.
-By Amanda Spears
Cleve dedicates his waning energy to creating the Names Project AIDS Memorial quilt.
Pearce is a past Emmy winner for “Mildred Pierce” (2011).
Roma lives with Diane (Rachel Griffiths) and Diane’s daughter, Annie, now a young pre-teen. When Annie begins asking about her father, Roma and Diane set out to find him.
Parker is a past Emmy winner for “Angels in America” (2003) and has scored an additional five Emmy nominations and won a Tony Award (“Proof,” 2001).
A nurse and social activist whom Roma (Parker) met in the Peace Corps in Africa, Diane also moves to San Francisco to join the women’s movement.
Griffiths is a past Oscar nominee (“Hilary and Jackie,” 1998) and a four-time Emmy nominee.
With his health fading, he turns to God for comfort.
Williams is a past Emmy nominee (“Bessie,” 2015).
A dedicated member of the women’s movement who has not fully come to terms with her own sexuality. She moves to San Francisco and dedicates herself to opening the first women’s center in the country run by women, for women.
Skeggs is a past Tony nominee (“Fun Home” 2015).
A young Quaker activist who escapes his repressive life in Phoenix and heads to San Francisco in hopes of finding refuge and joining the peace movement.
McKenzie is looking to score his first major award nomination.
He is s sailor in the United States Navy who is reassigned from Vietnam to San Francisco to spearhead a new military desegregation program.
Majors is looking to score his first major award nomination.
Cecilia helps veterans but in this era of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell it proves challenging.
Aquino is looking to score her first major award nomination.
Jean has to deal with a changing world that might affect her relationship.
Gerard is looking to score her first major award nomination.
Synopsis: In the two-hour premiere, as these idealistic social-justice fighters come out or are outed, they are forced from their jobs, their movements and their homes, and must escape to San Francisco in hopes of finding safe harbor. When their hopes turn to disappointment, they join the fledgling LGBTQ movement and together, locked arm in arm, set out to change the world.
Cleve, Ken and Roma stand up to fight California’s Anti-Gay Proposition 6, and a mysterious new disease begins to take lives in the gay community.
