Black in Period Films

Lovie Simone has been casted in the Apple TV+ true crime limited series "Manhunt" based on Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer  by James Swanson. The series follows the Lincoln assassination and the resulting aftermath. It will be lead by Tobias Menzies ("Rome, “The Crown,”, “Outlander”) as Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s war secretary and friend. Simone has been casted as Mary Simms, the first Black American to testify on May 25, 1865 during the conspiracy trial for the assassination of President Lincoln. Mary Simms was the former slave of Samuel Mudd, the doctor who treated the leg injury of John Wilkes Booth (to be played by Anthony Boyle) and gave him safe harbor after his crime. Simms remembered her former enslavers dislike for Lincoln and discussed specific conversations during her testimony. Mary Simms' brothers Elzee Eglent,14 year old Milo Simms, and seven other formerly enslaved people also testified in the case so I'm looking forward to their c...

Sony Pictures Television’s TriStar has a television series based on the life of Malcolm X in the works.   If the project moves forward, the series will be based on two novels which were both co-written by Malcolm’s daughter, Ilyasah Shabazz. The novels are X: A Novel which was co-written by Kekla Magoon and The Awakening of Malcolm X, which was co-written by Tiffany D. Jackson. X: A Novel follows Malcolm X’s life from his childhood to his imprisonment at age twenty. The Awakening of Malcolm X follows Malcolm’s time in prison, his decision to join the Nation of Islam, and his leaving prison as Malcolm X. Ilyasah Shabazz is an activist and motivational speaker. Shabazz has written six books including: Growing Up X: A Memoir by the Daughter of Malcolm X. with Kim McLarin Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X. The Diary of Malcolm X: 1964. X: A Novel. with Kekla Magoon Betty Before X. with Renée Watson The Awakening of Malcolm X. with Tiffany D. Jackson Ilyasah ...

In 1927, the amazing Zora Neale Hurston interviewed Cudjo Lewis, the last living survivor of the Middle Passage and turned it into a book. The book failed to receive a publisher for two major reasons: 1) it was written in vernacular and 2) because it described the involvement of other African people in the business of Atlantic slave trade. The book was lost to history until it was fully published May 8, 2018, and titled Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo". Cudjo Lewis' extraordinary story is now being adapted by Common under his overall deal at Lionsgate TV.  Lionsgate TV and Common recently acquired the rights to develop the book as a limited series. I look forward to seeing this part of history brought to life. I am pleased that Common is using his deal with Lionsgate TV to create a period series. Get your own copy of this amazing novel! Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase from the links Blacks in...

I went into Underground nervous about what kind of show it would be. There are so many ways a story like this can go bad; even with the best of intentions. A few minutes into Underground and I was speechless. Everything including the acting, writing, music, and costumes came together seamlessly.  From the start Underground lived up to being called an action thriller. When the people behind the series described it as an action thriller I was instantly intrigued. There are so many different ways to tell stories that involve enslaved Black Americans and action thriller is one that I haven’t seen in a while (or ever?) as most are promoted as dramas. Most are promoted as dramas because of the heaviness that comes with enslavement. Many of these films were made to show the cruelness of slavery, instead of the diversity that came with the situation. While I am fine with dramas about slavery, I know there are other ways to tell the stories of enslaved persons. Because this show dec...