One year after slavery movie ‘12 Years a Slave‘captivated movie goers and made a star out of actress Lupita Nyong’o, Black Entertainment Television (BET) have revealed that they are to launch a TV series named ‘The Book of Negroes‘,set to tell a story just as bittersweet.
Full story below…
Starring Cuba Gooding Jnr, ‘Negroes’ will be a TV presentation of a novel penned by Lawrence Hill, telling the story of Aminata Diallo, aWest African woman kidnapped from her motherland, sold into slavery in South Carolina, then fights through the American Revolution to reclaim her freedom in England at the beginning of the 19th century.
‘Deadline’ adds:
The Book of Negroes refers to a book of genealogy kept by the British Navy of those slaves who left their captors to serve the red coats during the Revolutionary War. But when the British lost, they sought to make good on their promise and the book logged each slave’s country of origin, destination and what their job during the war.
Once it hits BET’s screens next February, the show will become the channel’s first-ever long format series, spanning six parts, and will also air on Canada’s CBC, both no doubt hoping to pull audiences in with help from Cuba, who said of the project:
It’s told from the female perspective with a sense of empowerment. Through Aminata’s journey we see the strength of her character. I didn’t know anything about The Book of Negroes, or the slaves participation with the British and upon hearing this, it always upsets me when I hear about something I don’t know: Like The Tuskegee Airmen, The Book of Negroes is another upsetting moment for African Americans, when we have made a positive impact on the building of America, but our history hasn’t been told. Hearing this tale of strength moved me.
![Movie Trailer: 'Beyond the Likes' [Starring Matt Rife, Don Benjamin, Terrence J, & King Bach]](https://thatgrapejuice.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/beyond-the-likes-terrence-j-trailer-2024-thatgrapejuice-464x260.jpg "Movie Trailer: 'Beyond the Likes' [Starring Matt Rife, Don Benjamin, Terrence J, & King Bach].")
The book was amazing. One of the best books I’ve ever read. I hope that the TV series will do the book justice.
Another s**** film/show is what we need right?
Yep, we do. People have been downplaying the plight of black people for too long.
you never say that about the holocaust movies
I won’t be watching
Racist cracker!!!
looking good so far ill be checking it out.
It might be a good show, but it’s coming on BET. In the words of MLK (Boondocks) “BET is the worst…”
Interesting, i might watch it, just to cry a little bit, you know, Black people often don’t talk about how cruel we were to them.
White WWHORE!!! THATS Y NO ONE LIKES UR RACIST ASS!!!
KMT! Another s**** story… Would it kill us black people to make a flipping sci-fi film or an action film… Superhero flick or something!!! It’s either cheating, family struggles or SLAVERY! Where is the progression!?
Where are the authentic stories… Can we not for once spawn something ORIGINAL?
Exactly. It’s not that speaking about struggles like slavery or family affairs are bad, it’s just that we have seen it so many times before. I would love to see an action film or maybe something animated.
12 Years a S**** was a year ago! Not two years ago.
I think it’s wise to keep telling these stories because there’s an effort underway to eradicate the value and importance of black history (just look at Raven-Symone’s recent comments). On the other hand, I don’t know if these programs and movies are pushing us in the right direction. Our response to “12 Years” or “Book of Negroes” tends to be that we point more fingers at white people when probably the biggest changes that need to be made start with us in the black community.