Rarely do dark-skinned Black women get to see themselves portrayed in a TV show without their image being caricatured, stereotyped, or mocked in some form. Denée Benton’s role as Peggy means everything and has set this show far above other historical dramas ❤️❤️❤️
@samantha ssmith In THIS show, which is the one being discussed, they show Black people owning brownstones and businesses in Brooklyn, and that IS reality.
@@anthonytaylor7928 The commenter is right on the money. She wrote "rarely," and not "never." Also, when you get down to it, black families, even black elite families, were a range of complexions, as can be seen in the photos accompanying this feature. But it is great that the actress is beautifully dark skinned.
@@brachiator1 nope I have to respectfully disagree it is a lot of dark skinned actresses that has tv shows political talk shows reality shows ect on please yall do ur research
As a history buff I knew there was so much material to reference for the African American characters, I was afraid that the writers wouldn’t know where to look or even fathom the lives of African Americans during the Gilded Age. Kudos to the writers and researchers.
@@sryder8312 they might be graduating college but their men aren’t marrying them and are leaving them to be single mothers at an alarming rate. The culture is the problem.
Now that more people are aware of what happened in 1921 in Tulsa/ Black Wall St, it's really important to explain how that community became what it was. This show is helping explain it.
Exactly. I was preparing for more dive into the black elite in Brooklyn for season 2, then they threw the whole baby and the trip to Philadelphia plot..which saddens me. I'm not goign to stop watching but I hope they resolve that sooner in season 2 so we get to see more of the black elite.
YES PLEASE, for some weird reason it's like the world wants to show us that affluent black families never existed until recently.. they've been there throughout history. They always portray us in the worst ways, like that's our entire history.
As someone who loves period drama it often feels like POC are either ignored or shoehorned in as an after thought. In this drama however the Scott family feel so authentic and naturally a part of the story. I for one had no idea about the black elite (the only other show I can think of that touches on it is Self Made about madam CJ Walker). It makes me hopeful we will see more period dramas focus on the black elite in the future.
YESSS the exact reason love this so much. "Self Made" was a bit disappointing in the story and especially the wardrobe but, all in all i enjoyed it. Peggy, i believe, was modeled after Ida B. Wells, a famous Black woman journalist from the late 19th. she also help found the NAACP
IF THEY GONNA REDO BLK AMERICAN HISTORY IN HOLLYWOOD...WHY AINT THEY DOING THE SAME FOR ASN AMERICANS, LATINO AMERICANS AND INDIAN AMERICANS? F HOLLYWOOD FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
Instead of race swapping characters in shows, I want to see more of THIS. I want to see writers shine a flashlight into the corners of forgotten history and tell stories of POC instead of projecting white culture onto POC like Amazon is doing. This is far more fascinating and authentic.
In the context of WOT the diversity they’ve chosen does not affect the story at all but I can understand it can be annoying when you have a fixed image of the character in your mind. But remember the Rue scandal in Hunger Games? The book describes her as a poc but somehow the readers expected her to be white lol.
@@IceCream-hp7mm having never read WoT it didn't bother me, in fact, issues surrounding it didn't even cross my mind until the fans brought them up. Like how are these remote medieval settlements that are cut off from the rest of the world so diverse in the first place? But that is such an insignificant detail. I feel race swapping is fine so long as it makes sense, or you go the route of Hamilton and just go all in and fully commit to it. But the example i like to bring up all the time is Lone Ranger. All this fuss was made to hire Johnny Depp because he was 1/36th native, meanwhile the role of the lone ranger still went to a white person... the real life lone ranger was black. Hollywood missed a huge opportunity there to tell forgotten black history. And instead they continued to uphold one of their biggest crimes in the history of whitewashing.
@@FablestoneSeries oh that’s interesting, the ones fighting for JD probably had no clue. Studios do not care about diversity the change comes because now their consumers are interested in that.
I would applaud the writers even more, if they mention Seneca Village next season. It was dismantled a few years before this series starts but it would interesting to start a conversation about it.
Seneca Village is extremely important. I want a film or series that shows how we as a people flourished. I want to see, smell and feel how we lived, what we ate, what gave us joy. And at the end as a side note reveal the egregious elimination of Black people by white America, now sits below Central Park.
@@livingwithphyllis9261 I was just going to ask if Seneca Village was where Central Park is now located. CBS Sunday Morning or CBS Morning Show did a segment on this subject and they even found some descendants living still in NYC of some of the people that originally lived in S. Village. If I recall correctly these descendants had no clue. The clip is here on You Tube as I just watched a month ago.
Wow, that is a hidden historical omission and secret. Redlining at its best, to tear down a thriving town to make way for Central Park. Immanent domain has claws and dividers based in Eugenics and Race erasure.
In the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, there were more black senators than ever in American history. It is so wonderful to see Salli Richardson Whitfield and the other black writers and producers on the show lend their talents to bring forth aspects of American history that many are not aware of. This fuller telling of the Gilded Age (one of my favorite eras) is very satisfying. The Black elite also had their own social strata. They created wealthy communities in the Hamptons like Oak Bluffs (where the Obamas summered) and Sag Harbor Hills as well as Weeksville (now called Crown Harbor) in Brooklyn and many more elite enclaves throughout the United States despite the racial violence and unjust laws they experienced. We look forward to new episodes and wish you all continued success. 🙏🏾
i recently found out bout the black upper-class too and its so wonderful to see it acted out on screen. i subbed across it when I saw some old pictures of black Victorian ladies from the late 19th C and ever since then iv been looking it up. also thx for all the info. Now I can do some more research on the towns you listed. ps: there is a western film called "the harder they fall" inspired off black characters from the west. after watching, someone's comment led me to towns formed in the west called "freedom-towns", which you prob named a few of them already. all this stuff is fascinating to learn and even more so because they were real lives of Black Americans.
Love this! Peggy is by far my favorite character. There's so many layers to her and this feature definitely sheds more light into the Black Elite, a subject that I myself wasn't too familiar with so it's wonderful to know more about this period of American history. P.S. Aunt Agnes is hilarious and I love her power dynamic versus Bertha! ❤
@samantha ssmith Did the whole point escape you? Black people were rising like a phoenix from slavery which had JUST ENDED and yet they were grabbing every opportunity available. Succeeding in so many ways. There was still racist treatment but they did not let it stop them from progressing. So, YES, joy and triumph. You're just a negative and nasty blind women if you can't see that.
On social media, I hear a lot of complaining about "modern women" and our careers, so on top of seeing a black elite family, I'm also glad to see her father want to pass his business to her and her wanting to forge her own career. People act like there weren't always a segment of women who wanted the growth, opportunities and freedoms that having a career brings.
Look up the Downing catering dynasty of New York. By the 1880s this Black dynasty were said to be among the wealthiest and more connected business families of the entire city. They brought the concept Oyster fine dining to New York city for the first time from the 1820s onwards. There are pictures of them, the children were educated in Europe etc.
Peggy's wardrobe, tho. Her outfits are amazing. The costume designer deserves an Oscar or Emmy!!!! I love the premise of the show and I want to see it, but I don't have HBO.
I just pray that Peggy wont be a throw away character like they tend to do. You have no idea how amazing it is to see a high melanin sister and seen her portrayed in such a beautiful light! Thank you!
"Well, why should I align myself with either party when I don't have the right to vote?" WOAH, son! I find it ironic that an Irish housemaid was accusing Black people of coming to their their jobs when that was EXACTLY what was being said about the Irish immigrants lol.
@@caronstout354 yeah, I know. My friend called me when she saw it in ‘Watchman’ for the first time and that was how I, a South African, found out that most Americans don’t know what happened then
OMG the side walk thing is so true. The amount of times white people have assumed I'd excuse myself before them is astounding when you think about the world we share today. I have to remember it's less about politeness and more about respect.
I have never had that happen to me. I'm from the Bronx but live in Europe now. I'm assuming you're speaking of a wt American. But if a wt person did engage in that folly with me they would be very disappointed in the outcome 😂
Yes it happens in Brooklyn right now since the white gentrifiers are moving in and they think the water has to part for them....and their dogs. Disgusts me what has happened to the Fort Greene I loved in my youth.
Yep I had to call my husband out about doing this. Out of habit he would go out of his way to move for them even when we were there first or had the right of way. He wasn't aware that he was doing it but he has improved and tried to be more conscious
Kudos to the writers/creators for showcasing the Black Elite another form of the Black American Experience which most history books tend to leave out. I absolutely love Peggy’s story and it’s so refreshing to see a beautiful l/intelligent dark skin Black woman like myself in an important role. Great series!!!
I really don't get why we don't see more of this, they always show us as struggling like all black people are in same level of society. Would love to see a show focus on black elites, not just the one's from the 20th & 21st century.
What history books leave this out? you mean histories that arent about this specific time or place or subject cause thats relevant to all history isnt it.
@samantha ssmith No, wealthy Black folk who dressed accordingly, who dressed like OTHER upper-class people of the era. "Dolly Europeans..."🙄 Did you say that about the AMERICANS who were dressed in that manner? Just say you're a loudmouthed, knuckle-dragging racist and be done with it.
I also wanted to point out Lena Horne’s paternal family were very much apart of the Black Upper Middle Class in Brooklyn. I remember reading her memoir where she said the happiest memories of her childhood was when she lived with her paternal grandparents.
Me too. That is where I first learned about the Black elite class in Brooklyn. Ms. Horne's grandparents were indeed a part of this community during the end of the 19th century. Her grandmother was involved with civil rights, a member of the NAACP, and suffragist. And they were well educated too.
Such brilliant writing and production. When a show can transport you into the lives of the characters where you become invested in the many relationships, you know it’s a success. I love this series. So happy they got picked up for season 2. Can’t wait for Monday nights on HBO. 👏🏽💐
It's not erasure as such it's more ignoring the existence of black elite. I hope they do a spin off which focuses on the black elite and not in roles of servitude.
This is literally about my mom side of the family In Birmingham Alabama, you had these kinds of communities especially in the south !! That are still around & have evolved into Atlanta, Columbia South Carolina, Birmingham Alabama, Jackson Mississippi etc
This black experience still happens in Manhattan. Many times as a proud black man who dresses well and walks with his head held high living on the UWS I get these looks from a lot of white people as if they have never seen a black person before in NYC in 2022. There is a difference between being aware of your surroundings and still looking at someone even when they have passed by you. I don’t know if they really understand how rude and disgusting it is, quite frankly I do not care but it just shows how things really haven’t changed that much in NYC.
@@MothGirl007 No. I believe he is old enough to know when someone is looking at him with admiration. You can always tell when someone is against you and when someone is for you.
Being denied this picture of the black community is such an injustice, and this series should be praised for telling it. It seems like we erased the stories of these great black members of our society and sold the black community a lie of who they truly were and what they could achieve. I really enjoy seeing this side of our history in such a truly beautiful story.
I was always into learning history in school and I have NEVER heard of the Black elites. I am SO happy to be entertained AND learn something new (even though it's history). We really need to do better in terms of education regarding our history. But this looks AMAZING
Bravo!! I think the producers have done a PHENOMENAL job in creating a television series that UNFORTUNATELY not too often reflects the FULL realities of Black life here in America.
I was about to add that's it's thrilling to see a dark-skinned young woman's portrayal treated with respect and dignity ...And then I realise everyone's already saying that in the comments, too. 😄Still, it's worth repeating, though! As a young Jamaican female writer myself, even having not watched this series yet, it makes me feel like I'm standing a foot taller. 🥰😇 (I'm in the middle of writing a story along these lines someday...I hope there will still be a market for it in the future, and this positive awareness of black history rising is not just a trend!) P.S.: Author Beverly Jenkin's YA novels "Belle", and later, its sequel, are similar stories of a young black woman finding her footing, and rising in the world during the Reconstruction-Era. For anyone interested in written fiction on this subject, that might be a place to start -- haven't read them, but I hear they are wholesome and well-told!
@Ameerah McSweeney Dark skin tones have not been portrayed as positively as others, by and large, in western film for generations. Now that it is, it is a moment to celebrate, not to come up with cheap and irrelevant clapbacks.
That scene where the white couple wanted to them to part to let them through happens so much to this day lol but I don’t care who you are if I was there first then you move around me not the other way around . I won’t make myself small to comfort anyone .
But it's a sidewalk, you should be walking, or at least not standing in a way to impede other pedestrians. Poor scene to try to briefly remind viewers they are not the majority by turning them into physical obstacles to everyone else while in the midst of a heated conversation.
This narrative is a must for the show. I know without it, I would have been less likely to keep watching. There are other narratives that continue to be ignored/kept away from the big screen. America is more complex than Black and White, even at this time in history.
This is true. While I’m happy to see storylines about African Americans, I’m also hoping to see stories about Native Americans, Chinese and other Asian American communities, Latino communities and more, because you’re right, American history is more complex and colorful than black and white.
I love this show because of this exactly. I had no idea of the black elite. But of course we were thriving too! Of course! How wonderful it is to know that! I love Peggy so much! I hope they include her in all the seasons to come!
It's so funny. When trailers for this show first started being played, I had a conversation with a White Dude who called her presence revisionist history and politically correct casting. Why, because he was ignorant regarding the Black Elite. What's happening in classrooms and with textbooks today where there is true revisionist history occuring, isn't the first time our history has been erased. Especially the positive aspects. It's wonderful that People of Color in general and Black People specifically are beginning to rectify this in ways that won't be so easily erased.
If it was a show about Vikings or ancient Celts and they casted a bunch of the roles with black actors, then he'd have a point. But the black elites of the Gilded Age did exist.
@@AmandaFromWisconsin I don't know when it will hit home with you all. Africa IS the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of all humanity. There were and are Black People in every part of the world now and in every part of history...Even Vikings and Ancient Celts. Even if it may have been a nominal amount, they were still present... The destruction and distortion of history isn't a new thing "they" are not clever or creative. The playbook is the same and excluding Black People is what they do and have been doing.
My ancestors are a part of this elite history. We are still here, but we lay low. I'm not usually into characters like this, but she was masterfully written.
I have known about for years. I am a debutante. What I would like to see is Peggy interacting more with some of the colored women's groups they had at the time. I remember them well growing up. Good start, but I hope it is expanded more.
I'm fascinated about the Black elite in San Francisco alot of people moving west for the Gold Rush era and then building up cities we don't get alot of media about it I think it's an interesting time period that was kind of running parallel to the Gilded Age
@@Wlf5953 currently it does but back then colored referred to the Separation of blacks and white during the south and north . Which is why for example in Many o places they will write , colored, Mexicans and Chinese not need to apply . Before coming for someone to educate themselves make sure you know the context . Racial definitions in the past are not the same as how it is now .
Got to own the medium ourselves. Cant depend on browbeating white hollywood ownership to portray us the way we want to see us. Blacks have to be the owners of the media our kids consume
Because of this show I learned about Mary Ellen Pleasant. Even though she found her fortune on the West Coast she was around the same time when people couldn't imagine someone like her amassing wealth PERIOD and she precedes Madame CJ Walker by a few decades
(I just rewatched some of it. I didn’t recall there being so much bleeping out of profanity. As a personal rule, I generally do not recommend items with profanity - bleeped out or not - so, please do watch at your discretion.)
Mary Ellen Pleasant made her own rules and mastered the entrepreneurship game. She certainly made some unorthodox and risqué moves but she should be studied for her fortitude and business savvy.
@@noble604 YOU'RE A TRIP! THE BLEEPING OUT OF PROFANITY IS THE PRESSING IMPRESSION THAT YOU GET? GOOD LORD! 🤦🏾♀️ HOLIER THAN THOU PEOPLE! HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO BREATHE THE SAME OXYGEN AS US MERE MORTALS?
Wow! I must see this show! Finally to see us in a different light doing that time. It make you feel proud! That there was more to us! And to finally to see it on the screen! Those pictures doing that time was beautiful! The style and dress was so classy! HBO and the writers got it right! Your shows always try to bring the real truth! Thank you for having the time and doing the real research.
I remember hearing stories of white American soldiers in WWII trying to talk down to and insult black West Indian soldiers fighting for the British and those West Indian soldiers would beat up white Americans calling them the n-word and those men were taken aback by that…
Loved the way Peggy's mom addressed the shoes after Marian realized her charitable faux pas. Very funny. Peggy's family home was far more substantial than Marian's father. If Raikes marries Marian, do they move to Brooklyn?
I'm so glad to see a character like Peggy Scott on the show because this is a hugely neglected part of history. I love how she's a budding journalist and has plans and ambition. The picture isn't complete without her.
I LOVE this series and love there are Black women who executive produce, write and direct episodes! Proud that character Peggy looks like me! Bravo to Salli, who also directed episodes of The Wheel of Time. ~Elizabeth
This is sooooo exciting to me. This is exactly my paternal side; they're from New York. I've never seen this on tv or in movies before. And no lady, they weren't subservient.
Like so many others, I never realized that there was a “black elite” in NYC and I found it fascinating. I hope Season 2 will explore this a bit more. In fact, I’d love to see an entire series about it.
A breath of fresh care when compared to the rife pain and trauma that is oftentimes the default in the telling of black history. Wealth, innovation and abundance is something we need our kids to see in our past communities as well°•♡
Those lives DID exist. It is a collective history and it is very smart to bringing these characters into the show. There are MANY stories of that time. Let’s hope the show illuminates many alongside all of the white elite arcs. It will enrich and educate.
I love the way black folks are portrayed in this series, resilient, intelligent, strong willed. So much better than that other period drama where inexplicably black people became queen of England and other English nobles.
I’m very invested in the history of what the show is portraying but I would be really interested in a show that focuses on this period of time in black Brooklyn.
😲... The things u don't learn in school, oh my!!!! Initially I was already drawn to the show because it was well written and well crafted then the idea was of course an escape, but now to learn something one has never known before is an amazing thing!!! " "His story"whoever he may be should be rewritten and black children, all children, really should definitely learn this piece of History on a daily basis and not monthly. To learn that our people are more than slaves, is the beginning of the truth, but there is more to come historically that I do believe!
This is amazing, fascinating. From a New Zealander perspective, I don't think I've seen this more balanced period piece than this series. You want to learn more than just the projected narrative from a white prospective. I am impressed. Looking forward to seeing the series.
I know! Marian is such a bore that I was hoping she'd marry that guy and leave forever! No such luck ... But why make Peggy a single mom as her son is alive!!!! Hope things turnaround for her next season.
OMG T 0:39 in the three images, the one girl looks almost exactly like Janelle Monaé, and the older man on the left looks like Noah (Luke James) from Star!! I wonder if they have any familial relation?
I really , REALLY appreciate this series, 10000000X better than Bridgerton which is completely insulting , inauthentic and ignores the cruelty of that Regency time period to POC. This is very authentic and highlights the affluence and achievement of a group despite all the trials and tribulations they had to face. Well done HBO!!
While talking about historical accuracy: "She's a Republican..." yeah because Abraham Lincoln was. The switch to Democrat as a people came later 20th Century.
Most Black men were Republicans at that time not just because Abraham Lincoln was but because at that time the Republican party was liberal and progressive in terms of advancing civil rights for Black men. White women won the right to vote in 1920 but Black women, Native Americans, and other people of color could not vote in the United States until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That’s just 56 years ago.
I loved the inclusion of this character. I live in Brooklyn, so seeing this side of my city's history was really eye-opening. It's almost never talked about, especially with the almost comical overemphasis on the Harlem Renaissance in the city's historical imagination. Manhattan always gets the spotlight, along with the rich white people who have always lived there. So it was a most pleasant surprise to see THIS part of American history having a bit of a moment in the sun too, along with some attention on the centuries-long abolitionism of Dutch-descended New Yorkers. This is reflected so well in Mrs. Van Rijn's open tolerance and embrace of Peggy.
The best scenes (in a show with brilliant scenes) were the Marion/Scott family scenes. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past three decades and I still experience situations like these.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
Rarely do dark-skinned Black women get to see themselves portrayed in a TV show without their image being caricatured, stereotyped, or mocked in some form. Denée Benton’s role as Peggy means everything and has set this show far above other historical dramas ❤️❤️❤️
Beautifully said! You hit the nail squarely on the head! Denee performance is wonderful.
@samantha ssmith In THIS show, which is the one being discussed, they show Black people owning brownstones and businesses in Brooklyn, and that IS reality.
What about viola Davis who won an Emmy ? U sure u done ur research?
@@anthonytaylor7928 The commenter is right on the money. She wrote "rarely," and not "never." Also, when you get down to it, black families, even black elite families, were a range of complexions, as can be seen in the photos accompanying this feature. But it is great that the actress is beautifully dark skinned.
@@brachiator1 nope I have to respectfully disagree it is a lot of dark skinned actresses that has tv shows political talk shows reality shows ect on please yall do ur research
As a history buff I knew there was so much material to reference for the African American characters, I was afraid that the writers wouldn’t know where to look or even fathom the lives of African Americans during the Gilded Age. Kudos to the writers and researchers.
But now look at the American African culture. Smashed. Say again smashed
@@ronjames1914 not at all smashed. African Americans have thrived despite the odds. The majority of college grads are African American women.
@@sryder8312 But now look at the American African culture. Smashed. Say again smashed
@@sryder8312 they might be graduating college but their men aren’t marrying them and are leaving them to be single mothers at an alarming rate. The culture is the problem.
Now that more people are aware of what happened in 1921 in Tulsa/ Black Wall St, it's really important to explain how that community became what it was. This show is helping explain it.
I wish they would create a spin off of the black elite in brooklyn. Would so love to see that
Absolutely, I’m here for it.
That’s be awesome but no more baby mom narratives. I can’t believe tonight’s episode
Aubrey James disappointing
Exactly. I was preparing for more dive into the black elite in Brooklyn for season 2, then they threw the whole baby and the trip to Philadelphia plot..which saddens me. I'm not goign to stop watching but I hope they resolve that sooner in season 2 so we get to see more of the black elite.
YES PLEASE, for some weird reason it's like the world wants to show us that affluent black families never existed until recently.. they've been there throughout history. They always portray us in the worst ways, like that's our entire history.
As someone who loves period drama it often feels like POC are either ignored or shoehorned in as an after thought. In this drama however the Scott family feel so authentic and naturally a part of the story. I for one had no idea about the black elite (the only other show I can think of that touches on it is Self Made about madam CJ Walker). It makes me hopeful we will see more period dramas focus on the black elite in the future.
YESSS the exact reason love this so much. "Self Made" was a bit disappointing in the story and especially the wardrobe but, all in all i enjoyed it. Peggy, i believe, was modeled after Ida B. Wells, a famous Black woman journalist from the late 19th. she also help found the NAACP
IF THEY GONNA REDO BLK AMERICAN HISTORY IN HOLLYWOOD...WHY AINT THEY DOING THE SAME FOR ASN AMERICANS, LATINO AMERICANS AND INDIAN AMERICANS? F HOLLYWOOD FOR THE LAST 25 YEARS.
Instead of race swapping characters in shows, I want to see more of THIS. I want to see writers shine a flashlight into the corners of forgotten history and tell stories of POC instead of projecting white culture onto POC like Amazon is doing. This is far more fascinating and authentic.
Bingo.
agreed
In the context of WOT the diversity they’ve chosen does not affect the story at all but I can understand it can be annoying when you have a fixed image of the character in your mind. But remember the Rue scandal in Hunger Games? The book describes her as a poc but somehow the readers expected her to be white lol.
@@IceCream-hp7mm having never read WoT it didn't bother me, in fact, issues surrounding it didn't even cross my mind until the fans brought them up. Like how are these remote medieval settlements that are cut off from the rest of the world so diverse in the first place? But that is such an insignificant detail. I feel race swapping is fine so long as it makes sense, or you go the route of Hamilton and just go all in and fully commit to it. But the example i like to bring up all the time is Lone Ranger. All this fuss was made to hire Johnny Depp because he was 1/36th native, meanwhile the role of the lone ranger still went to a white person... the real life lone ranger was black. Hollywood missed a huge opportunity there to tell forgotten black history. And instead they continued to uphold one of their biggest crimes in the history of whitewashing.
@@FablestoneSeries oh that’s interesting, the ones fighting for JD probably had no clue. Studios do not care about diversity the change comes because now their consumers are interested in that.
I would applaud the writers even more, if they mention Seneca Village next season. It was dismantled a few years before this series starts but it would interesting to start a conversation about it.
Seneca Village is extremely important. I want a film or series that shows how we as a people flourished. I want to see, smell and feel how we lived, what we ate, what gave us joy. And at the end as a side note reveal the egregious elimination of Black people by white America, now sits below Central Park.
@@livingwithphyllis9261 I was just going to ask if Seneca Village was where Central Park is now located. CBS Sunday Morning or CBS Morning Show did a segment on this subject and they even found some descendants living still in NYC of some of the people that originally lived in S. Village. If I recall correctly these descendants had no clue. The clip is here on You Tube as I just watched a month ago.
Wow, that is a hidden historical omission and secret. Redlining at its best, to tear down a thriving town to make way for Central Park. Immanent domain has claws and dividers based in Eugenics and Race erasure.
In the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, there were more black senators than ever in American history. It is so wonderful to see Salli Richardson Whitfield and the other black writers and producers on the show lend their talents to bring forth aspects of American history that many are not aware of. This fuller telling of the Gilded Age (one of my favorite eras) is very satisfying. The Black elite also had their own social strata. They created wealthy communities in the Hamptons like Oak Bluffs (where the Obamas summered) and Sag Harbor Hills as well as Weeksville (now called Crown Harbor) in Brooklyn and many more elite enclaves throughout the United States despite the racial violence and unjust laws they experienced. We look forward to new episodes and wish you all continued success. 🙏🏾
Reconstruction is my favorite thing to learn about.
i recently found out bout the black upper-class too and its so wonderful to see it acted out on screen. i subbed across it when I saw some old pictures of black Victorian ladies from the late 19th C and ever since then iv been looking it up.
also thx for all the info. Now I can do some more research on the towns you listed.
ps: there is a western film called "the harder they fall" inspired off black characters from the west. after watching, someone's comment led me to towns formed in the west called "freedom-towns", which you prob named a few of them already. all this stuff is fascinating to learn and even more so because they were real lives of Black Americans.
So glad to see Black Historian's and Executive Producer's that can bring authenticity to this part of our history. Great Job!
I love it. More of this, please.
“Black historians and executive producers”. No apostrophe needed, sis.
I collect vintage photographs, and I had a lot of affluent black women and men. Their clothing was obviously expensive.
Love this! Peggy is by far my favorite character. There's so many layers to her and this feature definitely sheds more light into the Black Elite, a subject that I myself wasn't too familiar with so it's wonderful to know more about this period of American history.
P.S. Aunt Agnes is hilarious and I love her power dynamic versus Bertha! ❤
Peggy is my favorite character on this show!!! It's nice to know someone else I follow also loves this show as much as me! lol
Yes!!! Peggy is my number 1. Aunty Agnes is a close 2nd.
Thank you HBO and everyone involved with the show for telling a story of black triumph and joy during this time! Bravo 🎉
@samantha ssmith Did the whole point escape you? Black people were rising like a phoenix from slavery which had JUST ENDED and yet they were grabbing every opportunity available. Succeeding in so many ways. There was still racist treatment but they did not let it stop them from progressing. So, YES, joy and triumph. You're just a negative and nasty blind women if you can't see that.
On social media, I hear a lot of complaining about "modern women" and our careers, so on top of seeing a black elite family, I'm also glad to see her father want to pass his business to her and her wanting to forge her own career. People act like there weren't always a segment of women who wanted the growth, opportunities and freedoms that having a career brings.
Look up the Downing catering dynasty of New York. By the 1880s this Black dynasty were said to be among the wealthiest and more connected business families of the entire city. They brought the concept Oyster fine dining to New York city for the first time from the 1820s onwards. There are pictures of them, the children were educated in Europe etc.
Thanks for this. Hopefully it’s recorded in our kind of people book
Oysters? Ew.
Peggy's wardrobe, tho. Her outfits are amazing. The costume designer deserves an Oscar or Emmy!!!! I love the premise of the show and I want to see it, but I don't have HBO.
If you have Hulu you can watch it there!
I just pray that Peggy wont be a throw away character like they tend to do. You have no idea how amazing it is to see a high melanin sister and seen her portrayed in such a beautiful light! Thank you!
Are you saying black doesnt mean unity?
@@quinnishappy5309
Go away!
"Well, why should I align myself with either party when I don't have the right to vote?" WOAH, son!
I find it ironic that an Irish housemaid was accusing Black people of coming to their their jobs when that was EXACTLY what was being said about the Irish immigrants lol.
Racism is mental illness, so it’s never logical.
As long as there's somebody else to look down on, it doesn't matter.
@@theblackpearlofbraavos Precisely.
I thought so too!!
Which is why I laugh when certain people who exhibit racist behavior excuse themselves by saying I’m not racist, I’m “Irish”.
And then nightmares like the Tulsa Massacre started happening
This was dramatized on the first episode of HBO's "Watchmen" series.
@@caronstout354 yeah, I know. My friend called me when she saw it in ‘Watchman’ for the first time and that was how I, a South African, found out that most Americans don’t know what happened then
@@caronstout354 Lovecradt County also dramatized it.
@@crem-crem4070 History books, didn't mention it, only enslavement was taught.
OMG the side walk thing is so true. The amount of times white people have assumed I'd excuse myself before them is astounding when you think about the world we share today. I have to remember it's less about politeness and more about respect.
I have never had that happen to me. I'm from the Bronx but live in Europe now. I'm assuming you're speaking of a wt American. But if a wt person did engage in that folly with me they would be very disappointed in the outcome 😂
Yes it happens in Brooklyn right now since the white gentrifiers are moving in and they think the water has to part for them....and their dogs. Disgusts me what has happened to the Fort Greene I loved in my youth.
Omg it’s everyday . It’s crazy. Like they can’t even consider moving seeing us if we’re in a particular stance first why can’t you move around me ??
Yep I had to call my husband out about doing this. Out of habit he would go out of his way to move for them even when we were there first or had the right of way. He wasn't aware that he was doing it but he has improved and tried to be more conscious
I used to think my mom was rude for doing that but remembering the time she came from I don't back down from them anymore either
Kudos to the writers/creators for showcasing the Black Elite another form of the Black American Experience which most history books tend to leave out. I absolutely love Peggy’s story and it’s so refreshing to see a beautiful l/intelligent dark skin Black woman like myself in an important role. Great series!!!
I really don't get why we don't see more of this, they always show us as struggling like all black people are in same level of society. Would love to see a show focus on black elites, not just the one's from the 20th & 21st century.
@@chrisd2193 FACTS!!!!!!
What history books leave this out? you mean histories that arent about this specific time or place or subject cause thats relevant to all history isnt it.
I love this show! Black folks ARE a part of American history.
@samantha ssmith No, wealthy Black folk who dressed accordingly, who dressed like OTHER upper-class people of the era. "Dolly Europeans..."🙄 Did you say that about the AMERICANS who were dressed in that manner? Just say you're a loudmouthed, knuckle-dragging racist and be done with it.
imma need a spin off shows on the Scott family alone. no mayonnaise on the menu .
Part of American History? Without Black ppl there is no America.
@@PHlophe just plenty of coco huh. A racist American African…….SHOCKING
@@PHlophe Hate the skin you are in! Man I sleep good at night
I also wanted to point out Lena Horne’s paternal family were very much apart of the Black Upper Middle Class in Brooklyn. I remember reading her memoir where she said the happiest memories of her childhood was when she lived with her paternal grandparents.
Me too. That is where I first learned about the Black elite class in Brooklyn. Ms. Horne's grandparents were indeed a part of this community during the end of the 19th century. Her grandmother was involved with civil rights, a member of the NAACP, and suffragist. And they were well educated too.
She was from my neighborhood, Bed Stuy
No wig today huh. Lovin it very much😍
Cab Calloway was also born into money.
Such brilliant writing and production. When a show can transport you into the lives of the characters where you become invested in the many relationships, you know it’s a success. I love this series. So happy they got picked up for season 2. Can’t wait for Monday nights on HBO. 👏🏽💐
It's incredible how I was absolutely not aware of that part of history. I'm really glad they included it !
Would love to see a series about The Black Elite, back then. Stop the erasure!
I would love this too!! Unfortunately this does not support the agenda of CRT.
It's not erasure as such it's more ignoring the existence of black elite.
I hope they do a spin off which focuses on the black elite and not in roles of servitude.
This is literally about my mom side of the family In Birmingham Alabama, you had these kinds of communities especially in the south !! That are still around & have evolved into Atlanta, Columbia South Carolina, Birmingham Alabama, Jackson Mississippi etc
Yes
Love this and the stories. I am going to write for a show like this one day. Mark my worlds.
Can’t wait to see it!
Why wait. Write it now.
Nah you won't
Your worlds?
Yes 🙌🏾 you will
She brought them shoes. What a SCENE!
This black experience still happens in Manhattan. Many times as a proud black man who dresses well and walks with his head held high living on the UWS I get these looks from a lot of white people as if they have never seen a black person before in NYC in 2022. There is a difference between being aware of your surroundings and still looking at someone even when they have passed by you. I don’t know if they really understand how rude and disgusting it is, quite frankly I do not care but it just shows how things really haven’t changed that much in NYC.
Maybe they are looking at you with admiration.
Who dresses well? Am i the only one to find that problematic? Lol...
@Ameerah McSweeney why does he seem full of himself?
@@MothGirl007 No. I believe he is old enough to know when someone is looking at him with admiration. You can always tell when someone is against you and when someone is for you.
I would love to see an entire show that focuses on the black elite during this period
Being denied this picture of the black community is such an injustice, and this series should be praised for telling it. It seems like we erased the stories of these great black members of our society and sold the black community a lie of who they truly were and what they could achieve. I really enjoy seeing this side of our history in such a truly beautiful story.
I was always into learning history in school and I have NEVER heard of the Black elites. I am SO happy to be entertained AND learn something new (even though it's history). We really need to do better in terms of education regarding our history. But this looks AMAZING
It’s crazy how she resembles my late mother, seeing her on screen brought tears to my eyes. RIP mom.
This is what makes the gilded age a phenomenal show.
Bravo!! I think the producers have done a PHENOMENAL job in creating a television series that UNFORTUNATELY not too often reflects the FULL realities of Black life here in America.
I was about to add that's it's thrilling to see a dark-skinned young woman's portrayal treated with respect and dignity ...And then I realise everyone's already saying that in the comments, too. 😄Still, it's worth repeating, though! As a young Jamaican female writer myself, even having not watched this series yet, it makes me feel like I'm standing a foot taller. 🥰😇 (I'm in the middle of writing a story along these lines someday...I hope there will still be a market for it in the future, and this positive awareness of black history rising is not just a trend!)
P.S.: Author Beverly Jenkin's YA novels "Belle", and later, its sequel, are similar stories of a young black woman finding her footing, and rising in the world during the Reconstruction-Era. For anyone interested in written fiction on this subject, that might be a place to start -- haven't read them, but I hear they are wholesome and well-told!
@Ameerah McSweeney Dark skin tones have not been portrayed as positively as others, by and large, in western film for generations. Now that it is, it is a moment to celebrate, not to come up with cheap and irrelevant clapbacks.
2:37 “Why should I align myself with either party, when I don’t have the right to vote!” Pre-Suffragette!
The suffragettes denied black women entry and thus didn’t get the vote until the 1960s
Heather that was hot tea right there .
Thank you so much for presenting this part of history! I had no idea.
That scene where the white couple wanted to them to part to let them through happens so much to this day lol but I don’t care who you are if I was there first then you move around me not the other way around . I won’t make myself small to comfort anyone .
And they rarely say "excuse me" 🙄
But it's a sidewalk, you should be walking, or at least not standing in a way to impede other pedestrians. Poor scene to try to briefly remind viewers they are not the majority by turning them into physical obstacles to everyone else while in the midst of a heated conversation.
Love this show and Peggy Scott is one of my favorite characters. She dares to be bold, she dares to ask questions and be modern! I so enjoy her!
This narrative is a must for the show. I know without it, I would have been less likely to keep watching. There are other narratives that continue to be ignored/kept away from the big screen. America is more complex than Black and White, even at this time in history.
This is true. While I’m happy to see storylines about African Americans, I’m also hoping to see stories about Native Americans, Chinese and other Asian American communities, Latino communities and more, because you’re right, American history is more complex and colorful than black and white.
I love this show because of this exactly. I had no idea of the black elite. But of course we were thriving too! Of course! How wonderful it is to know that! I love Peggy so much! I hope they include her in all the seasons to come!
Id like to see more about Peggy’s father on the show. His journey sound interesting and completely understand why he wants the best for Peggy.
We're going to see more movies and series like this about our history in America beyond slavery and I'm here for it!!! Get ready!
I Care more about slaves and poor black people (who are the majority) than this boring black elites minority...
@@fideletamo4292 You're so ignorant and hateful. If you care so much, then do something for them instead of being angry at Black people who succeed.
It's so funny. When trailers for this show first started being played, I had a conversation with a White Dude who called her presence revisionist history and politically correct casting. Why, because he was ignorant regarding the Black Elite. What's happening in classrooms and with textbooks today where there is true revisionist history occuring, isn't the first time our history has been erased. Especially the positive aspects.
It's wonderful that People of Color in general and Black People specifically are beginning to rectify this in ways that won't be so easily erased.
If it was a show about Vikings or ancient Celts and they casted a bunch of the roles with black actors, then he'd have a point. But the black elites of the Gilded Age did exist.
@@AmandaFromWisconsin I don't know when it will hit home with you all. Africa IS the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of all humanity. There were and are Black People in every part of the world now and in every part of history...Even Vikings and Ancient Celts. Even if it may have been a nominal amount, they were still present...
The destruction and distortion of history isn't a new thing "they" are not clever or creative. The playbook is the same and excluding Black People is what they do and have been doing.
My ancestors are a part of this elite history. We are still here, but we lay low. I'm not usually into characters like this, but she was masterfully written.
I have known about for years. I am a debutante. What I would like to see is Peggy interacting more with some of the colored women's groups they had at the time. I remember them well growing up. Good start, but I hope it is expanded more.
@samantha ssmith at the time , if you were colored meant black ….
I'm fascinated about the Black elite in San Francisco alot of people moving west for the Gold Rush era and then building up cities we don't get alot of media about it I think it's an interesting time period that was kind of running parallel to the Gilded Age
@samantha ssmith colored means black. People of color me as everyone but black.
@@noonecares200
@ Samantha ssmith not correct. It referred to any non white citizen ..please educate yourself.
@@Wlf5953 currently it does but back then colored referred to the Separation of blacks and white during the south and north . Which is why for example in Many o places they will write , colored, Mexicans and Chinese not need to apply . Before coming for someone to educate themselves make sure you know the context . Racial definitions in the past are not the same as how it is now .
Now this is the history they don’t wanna show
But they’re showing it now…so?
So how many years later? And who is they that you are referring to and how about you find something else to speak about.
Got to own the medium ourselves. Cant depend on browbeating white hollywood ownership to portray us the way we want to see us. Blacks have to be the owners of the media our kids consume
@@amilton1911 Learn proper punctuation.
Because of this show I learned about Mary Ellen Pleasant. Even though she found her fortune on the West Coast she was around the same time when people couldn't imagine someone like her amassing wealth PERIOD and she precedes Madame CJ Walker by a few decades
(I just rewatched some of it. I didn’t recall there being so much bleeping out of profanity. As a personal rule, I generally do not recommend items with profanity - bleeped out or not - so, please do watch at your discretion.)
Mary Ellen Pleasant made her own rules and mastered the entrepreneurship game. She certainly made some unorthodox and risqué moves but she should be studied for her fortitude and business savvy.
@@noble604
YOU'RE A TRIP!
THE BLEEPING OUT OF PROFANITY IS THE PRESSING IMPRESSION THAT YOU GET?
GOOD LORD!
🤦🏾♀️
HOLIER THAN THOU PEOPLE!
HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO BREATHE THE SAME OXYGEN AS US MERE MORTALS?
Wow! I must see this show! Finally to see us in a different light doing that time. It make you feel proud! That there was more to us! And to finally to see it on the screen! Those pictures doing that time was beautiful! The style and dress was so classy! HBO and the writers got it right! Your shows always try to bring the real truth! Thank you for having the time and doing the real research.
I’d like to see a show about America’s black elite. Perhaps a spin-off show for Peggy? 👸🏾
Expand on this thought please, and why you think it's needed
@@kat64470 you sound like you don't want to see such a show!
I remember hearing stories of white American soldiers in WWII trying to talk down to and insult black West Indian soldiers fighting for the British and those West Indian soldiers would beat up white Americans calling them the n-word and those men were taken aback by that…
"BORN WITHOUT ENSLAVEMENT AS A REALITY" GENIUS QUOTE🏆
This by far the best show I’ve watched in a very long time!
I hope this doesn't get canceled because all of the good shows like this do.
I love this story and I love learning about this community. It’s inspiring.
Thank you for showing this!
This I have to see...THANK YOU HBO for contributing to sharing the WHOLE story of Black History! 👍👍👍👍👍👊👊👊👊👊
This was the first video that popped up as I logged on to RUclips. Never heard of this show before but I will definitely be watching!
3:15 tuh!! Still happens today! And I don't move 🤷🏿♀️
Brilliant writing. It puts the viewer into Marian's shoes (pun intended) and then hits them with a reality they were not aware of.
Loved this. I got it right away! 🤣
Loved the way Peggy's mom addressed the shoes after Marian realized her charitable faux pas. Very funny. Peggy's family home was far more substantial than Marian's father. If Raikes marries Marian, do they move to Brooklyn?
That part where certain people stop assuming you shouldn’t move for them…Happens to this day!!! I go through it in Foolion!
Girlie, errrthang in that short clip is 100% verifiable in modern day interactions. the more things change...
I'm so glad to see a character like Peggy Scott on the show because this is a hugely neglected part of history. I love how she's a budding journalist and has plans and ambition. The picture isn't complete without her.
I LOVE this series and love there are Black women who executive produce, write and direct episodes! Proud that character Peggy looks like me! Bravo to Salli, who also directed episodes of The Wheel of Time. ~Elizabeth
this is simply incredible . telling this American story , the success, the struggle .
One of the best new shows this year. Very happy to hear that it has been picked-up for Season 2.
More of them next season please, thank you.
This is sooooo exciting to me. This is exactly my paternal side; they're from New York. I've never seen this on tv or in movies before. And no lady, they weren't subservient.
Like so many others, I never realized that there was a “black elite” in NYC and I found it fascinating. I hope Season 2 will explore this a bit more. In fact, I’d love to see an entire series about it.
How refreshing to have black writers writing for a big budget historical TV drama.
A breath of fresh care when compared to the rife pain and trauma that is oftentimes the default in the telling of black history. Wealth, innovation and abundance is something we need our kids to see in our past communities as well°•♡
I may just get HBO. I'm always so fascinated by the Renaissance area with Black people in Harlem. This is a unknown history to me.
Those lives DID exist. It is a collective history and it is very smart to bringing these characters into the show. There are MANY stories of that time. Let’s hope the show illuminates many alongside all of the white elite arcs. It will enrich and educate.
I love the way black folks are portrayed in this series, resilient, intelligent, strong willed. So much better than that other period drama where inexplicably black people became queen of England and other English nobles.
Lol, love the shade you just threw
For more examples read Our Kind Of People by Lawrence Otis Jacobs, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and The Wedding by Dorothy West.
I’m very invested in the history of what the show is portraying but I would be really interested in a show that focuses on this period of time in black Brooklyn.
I really wish Julian Fellowes would have chosen to make the show solely about the black elite. Maybe we’ll get a spin-off. 🤞🏼🤞🏼
That was not his show to make, he is white.
@@DeepScreenAnalysis 🙄
@@AmandaFromWisconsin white writers can’t write from the black experience, anybody with sense knows that.
😲... The things u don't learn in school, oh my!!!! Initially I was already drawn to the show because it was well written and well crafted then the idea was of course an escape, but now to learn something one has never known before is an amazing thing!!! " "His story"whoever he may be should be rewritten and black children, all children, really should definitely learn this piece of History on a daily basis and not monthly. To learn that our people are more than slaves, is the beginning of the truth, but there is more to come historically that I do believe!
My wife & I Love this show!
I'm so proud to be from Brooklyn
"This generation of men and women who are BORN without enslavement as a reality."
This is amazing, fascinating. From a New Zealander perspective, I don't think I've seen this more balanced period piece than this series. You want to learn more than just the projected narrative from a white prospective. I am impressed. Looking forward to seeing the series.
I hope they dig into this more in the season or next season
I hope that we see more of The Black Elite in the next series.
Peggy's storyline is the most interesting part of the show.
I know! Marian is such a bore that I was hoping she'd marry that guy and leave forever! No such luck ...
But why make Peggy a single mom as her son is alive!!!! Hope things turnaround for her next season.
OMG T 0:39 in the three images, the one girl looks almost exactly like Janelle Monaé, and the older man on the left looks like Noah (Luke James) from Star!! I wonder if they have any familial relation?
Love this. Thank you so much. Just started watching it, and I enjoy it.
I might have to get HBO to watch this show. I had no idea of the black elite.
I will definitely be watching this one
I really , REALLY appreciate this series, 10000000X better than Bridgerton which is completely insulting , inauthentic and ignores the cruelty of that Regency time period to POC. This is very authentic and highlights the affluence and achievement of a group despite all the trials and tribulations they had to face. Well done HBO!!
This is a perfect example of why CRT is needed! There is more to our story, a lot more!!!
I’m so happy to see this show exists
I’m going to have to binge watch this weekend 🥰🥰
While talking about historical accuracy: "She's a Republican..." yeah because Abraham Lincoln was. The switch to Democrat as a people came later 20th Century.
Most Black men were Republicans at that time not just because Abraham Lincoln was but because at that time the Republican party was liberal and progressive in terms of advancing civil rights for Black men. White women won the right to vote in 1920 but Black women, Native Americans, and other people of color could not vote in the United States until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That’s just 56 years ago.
@@lunarwize7074
Check your History. Made a mistake.
This is such an excellent series please keep it going
I'm thoroughly enjoying this series. Amazing acting, writing etc
I loved the inclusion of this character. I live in Brooklyn, so seeing this side of my city's history was really eye-opening. It's almost never talked about, especially with the almost comical overemphasis on the Harlem Renaissance in the city's historical imagination. Manhattan always gets the spotlight, along with the rich white people who have always lived there. So it was a most pleasant surprise to see THIS part of American history having a bit of a moment in the sun too, along with some attention on the centuries-long abolitionism of Dutch-descended New Yorkers. This is reflected so well in Mrs. Van Rijn's open tolerance and embrace of Peggy.
A story of black triumph and joy! Finally!
That was a revelation to me! I loved learning this!
Oooui…..I gotta watch this tonight! Thanks for the black elite history!!
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man, Reconstruction could've really transformed this nation if it was allowed to flourish.
You know they couldn’t let that happen now
@@imacoolmom4893nope
The best scenes (in a show with brilliant scenes) were the Marion/Scott family scenes. I have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past three decades and I still experience situations like these.