Source : PERTHNOW NEWS
Morgan Freeman and Ben Vereen have said telling the stories of overlooked Black historical figures remains a personal mission.
As the pair promote their new historical drama The Gray House ahead of Juneteenth, actors Morgan, 89, and Ben, 79, spoke to PEOPLE about the Prime Video series, which focuses on three women whose espionage work helped influence the course of the American Civil War.
The project arrives as conversations about representation, historical storytelling and the preservation of Black history continue across film and television.
Morgan, whose career spans acclaimed films including The Shawshank Redemption, Million Dollar Baby, Se7en, Driving Miss Daisy and Invictus, serves as an executive producer on the series.
Ben, meanwhile, remains widely known for his portrayal of Chicken George in the landmark 1977 miniseries Roots, based on Alex Haley’s celebrated novel.
Ben said: “It’s about our ancestors, and our ancestors will not be erased (and) will not be put aside.
“It’s important to me that these stories are told.”
The actor explained portraying Isham Worthy in The Gray House felt like a continuation of the work he began decades earlier through Roots.
Ben added: “When I was approached with this one, I had to really sit back and think about how I would approach him because he’s not Chicken George. He’s a conductor in the Underground Railroad.
“And I think that’s an important story that has to be told.”
The eight-part drama tells the true story of three women played by Daisy Head, Mary-Louise Parker and Amethyst Davis, whose characters transform an Underground Railroad operation into a covert spy network during the Civil War.
The story centres on a Virginia socialite, her mother and their formerly enslaved maid as they gather intelligence in support of the Union cause.
Morgan echoed Ben’s belief many significant stories remain absent from mainstream historical narratives.
He said: “The American history of Blacks and women. Those stories are almost completely disregarded.
“And the mantra is, ‘If you want the story told, you have to tell it’.
“Nobody else is going to do that, so that puts us on the spot.”
Morgan added: “We do want our stories told, (and) like Ben says, our ancestors are demanding, so here we are.”
Ben also reflected on reactions he has encountered when discussing the series, saying he was surprised by some responses from people who felt there was no need for further stories dealing with slavery and Black history.
He said: “How can you (figure out) where you are, if you don’t know where you came from?
“Then you can’t even know where you’re going, so it’s important. It’s important. We cannot just erase our history.”
The actor also praised fellow producers Lori McCreary and Leslie Greif for helping bring projects such as The Gray House to audiences despite what he described as resistance within the industry.
Ben said: “We need warriors like Morgan, like Lori, and Leslie, to go out and beat down the walls because there is definitely a pushback, and we’ve got to keep pushing forward.”
The series has also inspired Morgan to pursue other historical projects.
Among them is a production examining the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the deadliest episodes of racial violence in American history.
Morgan said: “That story isn’t told, and we’re going to tell it.”
The Gray House is currently streaming on Prime Video.
