The topic to be discussed seems simple and, on the other hand, frightening, namely the stories of African Americans who were forcibly transported as cargo to the New World. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and PBS explore difficult moments in history in “The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross,” a beautiful six-hour, a six-part documentary that begins Tuesday nights and runs weekly through November 26, this film demonstrates its power.
Mr. Gates, a Harvard professor, author, and critic distinguished by his prolific interviews and discussions with historians said to old black Africans who admit that their ancestors got rich through the slave trade and working with Hoppin’ John. A modern black American stands drinking iced tea. At a seemingly innocuous city intersection where a shameful story unfolds. I know that slavery goes back, at least to the ancient Egyptians. It is a well-known fact that researchers acknowledge that African Americans helped white slave masters get to their shores – in Sierra Leone, they sold Loko to darkies so they would not think it was against them – and Europeans were told by the color of their skin which could and could not be enslaved (Gates & Yacovone, 2013). As Gates observed, the dehumanization of an entire race would take time.
The second episode is set in 1860 and tells the story of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and Nat Turner’s rebellion leading to the “Second Middle Passage” and a fleeting dream of renovation. The last three episodes cover 1897-1940 (Jim Crow), 1940-68 (Civil Rights Movement), and 1968-2013 (election of the nation’s first black president). Impressive illustrations are used to depict the early years. This inspiring story of brave men, women, and children tells the story of Harry Washington, one of George Washington’s slaves. Harry Washington left Mount Vernon and enlisted in the British Army. The first sit-in at a Philadelphia church in 1786 (refusing service to “black parishioners”). Then to Mound Bayou, Mississippi, an all-black town proudly founded by former slaves. I wish I had more time to explore. It is clear how different the story would have been if it began with “A slave stood at the door” instead of “a slave.”
Another strength of the film is its emphasis on the dehumanization of slaves. Historian Vincent Brown refers to cryptographers as slaves, defining them as helpless and insignificant human beings. White owners sought to emancipate their person from slavery, regarding slaves as little more than property or consumables with which they could increase their wealth. America, the land of the free, was built on the backs of slaves. Without slavery, it would not exist. The film reveals the stories told about slavery and shows the role played by Africans, Europeans, and Americans in the context of slavery. The film is based on Gates’ experience as a student of African American history and, like any historian, on his knowledge of this dark and traumatic period in American history.
Reference
Gates Jr, H. L., & Yacovone, D. (2013). The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. Hay House, Inc.