Even though slavery ended in the 1860s, free Black Americans made up 10% of the United States Black population. While the rest of the population was made up of slaves, those who escaped quickly learned that freedom didn’t mean access.
As the United States expanded, many now western states passed rules and regulations that made it difficult for Black citizens to successfully enter society. Ultimately, Black people opted to stay in the south, close to family, and in a better economic condition. Despite countless efforts to rob Black people of their rights, freed Black leaders made sure Black people were supported in their transition from slavery to freedom.
In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Vincent Brown of Harvard University and author Kate Clifford Larson — we learn about the often under told story of the free Black American.
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Archival Materials Courtesy of:
• Getty Images
• Library of Congress
Additional Archival Courtesy of:
• Virginia State University Special Collections and Archives
Executive Producers:
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor
Senior Producer:
Series Producers:
• William Ventura
Executive in Charge of Production:
Post Production Supervisor:
Post Production Coordinator:
Written By:
Additional Writing:
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura
Editors:
• Anne Yao
Producer:
Archival Producer:
Research:
Assistant Editors:
• Nicholas Mastrangelo
Director of Photography:
• Nausheen Dadabhoy
• Stephen McCarthy
Graphic Design:
Special Thanks:
• Sam Hartley
• Elyssa Hess
• Stacey Holman
• Hasan Jeffries
• Peniel Joseph
• Imani Perry
Music By:
Be Woke presents is brought to you by Robert F. Smith and Deon Taylor.
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