Our Panelists: Nyci Ask, Gabrielle Moore, David Phillips
1. Before the release of the film The Birth of a Nation, had you ever heard the story of Nat Turner before? Can you recall how his story treated?
2. There seems to be a void in regards to stories about slave uprisings, with the exception of Amistad and Birth of a Nation, most slave narratives are about slaves with the heart of gold and their wicked masters and somewhere along the line, a kindly white savior. Do you think we need more films and stories about slave revolts?
3. The film isn’t necessarily historically accurate, but it makes use of certain themes that happened to many black people during slavery, not specifically to Nat Turner. For instance, instead of Nat’s family being sold away from him, they depict her being raped, setting off a chain of events that leads to the slave uprising in the film. Do you think something is lost in translation when a director opts for themes rather than accuracy, especially when deali
