Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives
In their words, our shared history.
When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of some 2,000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes, ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet, have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special, featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.
Cast
Whoopi Goldberg
Narrator (voice)
Angela Bassett
Michael Boatman
Roscoe Lee Browne
Don Cheadle
Ossie Davis
Ruby Dee
Robert Guillaume
Jasmine Guy
Samuel L. Jackson
CCH Pounder
LaTanya Richardson Jackson
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Roger Guenveur Smith
Courtney B. Vance
Storyline
When the Civil War ended in 1865, more than four million slaves were set free. Over 70 years later, the memories of some 2,000 slave-era survivors were transcribed and preserved by the Library of Congress. These first-person anecdotes, ranging from the brutal to the bittersweet, have been brought to vivid life in this unique HBO documentary special, featuring the on-camera voices of over a dozen top African-American actors.
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