Commissions
Greenlit: Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner, Nat Geo
Rise Up: The Legacy of Nat Turner (1 x 60′) – In 1831, Nat Turner, an African-American slave and preacher, led a bloody slave revolt in Southampton County, Virginia. Turner is most remembered as a killer, rather than a freedom fighter driven by faith, but in this film viewers get a different perspective into his notorious legacy that extends beyond this rebellion.
Host Roger Guenveur Smith (The Birth of a Nation, Dope, American Gangster, Chiraq) takes viewers on a journey throughout Southampton County to explore where Turner lived, fought and died. Along the way, Smith meets with academics and descendants to peel back the layers of one of the most misunderstood Americans in history, including Kenneth Morris, Jr. (third-great-grandson of Frederick Douglass), Evelyn Sykes Hawkins (Turner descendant), Vivian Claude Lucas (Turner descendant), archaeologist Dr. Kelley Fanto Deetz, Dr. Alfred Brophy (professor, history and law, University of North Carolina) and Dr. Sarah Roth (associate professor, history, Widener University).
Turner’s story has been masked throughout history, and the reasons sit firmly in the community of Southampton County. After leading one of the most violent rebellions of the time, Turner was subsequently arrested and hanged two months later. He was never given a proper burial, but for the first time ever scholars and archaeologists believe they may have discovered the grave site of Nat Turner and his rebel comrades.
The documentary will outline the history of enslaved people in Virginia and the culture Turner was born into, lived in and revolted against. It will give an in-depth timeline of the events that led to the insurrection, mapping the entire event and laying out a series of recollections of the violent rebellion, ultimately leading into the Civil War. In addition, Smith will delve into how this rebellion and Turner’s legacy continue to resonate and inform ideas about civil rights in our country, as well as discuss ways in which African-Americans continue to face oppression.
Platform: Nat Geo
Producer: National Geographic Studios / Tiny Giant
TX: 7th October 2016
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