Declarations: Black Americans and the Revolutionary War

Matt Roush says...

The Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal” didn’t extend its liberties to the enslaved and freed Black people in the colonies. An eye-opening documentary tells the stories of four Black individuals who took a stand during the Revolutionary War to fight for the ideals of democracy and their own freedom with a hopeful eye towards America’s future. Artist Hudson Campbell provides oil-based portraits of these little-known figures, including James Lafayette, who served as a double agent for the Patriots; Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman, who sued a Massachusetts patriot while living in his home; Abraham Peyton Skipwith, an enslaved man who petitioned for his freedom and become one of Virginia’s first Black landowners; and Harry Washington, one of George Washington’s own slaves, who fled Mount Vernon to join the British.

What's Worth Watching (Jun 29)