The story of George Washington Black is an epic, globe-trotting tale of self-discovery, unending perseverance, and innovation. Hulu’s new series, Washington Black, follows the 19th-century journey of George Washington “Wash” Black, from the Barbados sugar plantation he has always known through an unexpected odyssey, thanks to his innate curiosity and extraordinary interest in science.
An adaptation of Esi Edugyan’s 2018 bestselling novel of the same name, 11-year-old Wash finds himself involuntarily propelled into world adventures after a life-changing event on the plantation forces him to flee. Unlike many of the TV shows and films that depict Black life during the transatlantic slave trade, Washington Black feels lighter. The series doesn’t discount the trauma or terror of the time; instead, the narrative focuses on how Wash’s courage and conviction afford him the chance to realize a future far beyond the limitations of society.
This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown plays “Medwin,” a mentor to Washington Black, played by Ernest Kingsley Jr., upon his arrival in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Brown and Kingsley Jr.’s relationship on screen is palpably rooted in love and the protection of community. Serving as one of the series’ executive producers, Brown recently shared with Travel Noire that a throughline of “the power of dreams to transcend circumstances” was what drew him to the series.
“It was the opportunity to tell a story about the transatlantic slave trade in a different light,” said Brown. “One that didn’t focus on trauma [or] hardship — didn’t diminish what it was, but that focused on joy, beauty, [and] hope. Black folks get to have whimsy, too. We get a chance to have fantasy and be brilliant, big, and expansive.”
An Otherworldly Journey Around The World
Wash’s journey from Barbados ultimately takes him to Virginia, through the bitter cold of the Arctic, to the streets of London, and across the desert dunes of North Africa. What makes the story of George Washington Black special is the limitless potential that viewers see in Wash early on. His budding genius is driven by an insatiable thirst for more, beyond plantation life.
Brown and Kingsley Jr. hope viewers share their sentiments about a narrative that evokes feelings of rapture and elation. Though a complex story set during one of the most harrowing periods in world history, at its core, Washington Black is a tale of triumph despite tribulation.
Brown reflects, “It’s otherworldly — above and beyond what we experience here. It should elevate you and allow you to see things from another perspective.”
Washington Black is now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+.
