Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance release ‘One Thousand Years of Slavery’ trailer

The docu-series will feature appearances from Dr. Bernice King, Debbie Allen, Valerie Jarrett, Lorraine Toussaint and more.

Just in time for Black History Month, The Smithsonian Channel has released the first official trailer of One Thousand Years of Slavery – The Untold Story, a four-part docu-series from Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance‘s Bassett Vance Productions.

From an upcoming reimagining of The Preacher’s Wife to a series on the Tulsa Race Massacre, Bassett and Vance are one of Hollywood’s busiest couples when it comes to producing content through their company, and it seems they have no plans of stopping in 2022. This latest project interviews subjects “confronting their personal connection to slavery and its legacy today.”

Screenshot via YouTube: One Thousand Years of Slavery | Smithsonian Channel

The four-part series is set to air every Monday during Black History Month, with Vance himself narrating the project. “The Smithsonian Channel and Smithsonian brand are known around the world as a trusted resource that makes history accessible for all. We couldn’t think of a better outlet to tell this important and increasingly relevant history. We are incredibly proud to be part of this journey,” Vance shared with Shadow and Act.

The series will feature various sit-downs from celebrities, community leaders and historical experts, including Dr. Bernice King, Debbie Allen, Valerie Jarrett, Lorraine Toussaint, Soledad O’Brien, CCH Pounder and Sen. Cory Booker.

“As an executive producer on One Thousand Years of Slavery, Bassett Vance Productions wanted to tell the globally comprehensive history of slavery,” Bassett told Shadow and Act. “Finding the right partner and audience who share common beliefs and values was absolutely imperative as we navigate a topic that still haunts us decades later.”

2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones - Arrivals
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – FEBRUARY 24: Courtney B. Vance (L) and Angela Bassett attends the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

At the time of the series announcement, director David Olusoga shared in a statement obtained by Deadline that the show’s aim is to, “break away from just seeing the slave trade as a phenomena that exists after the conquest and discovery of the New World, but to look back. It’s to set what happened in the New World in context, that it came from somewhere.”

One Thousand Years of Slavery – The Untold Story will debut on Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. EST/PST on The Smithsonian Channel. Check out the trailer for the series below:

Have you subscribed to theGrio podcasts “Dear Culture” or “Acting Up?” Download our newest episodes now!

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. Download theGrio.com today!

SHARE THIS ARTICLE