Debapriya Bhattacharya
Based on Esi Edugyan’s eponymous book, ‘Washington Black’ by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds is a period drama set in the 1800s that chronicles the adventures of George Washington Black. Introduced as an 11-year-old boy working on a Barbados sugar plantation, George is discovered by a White inventor (Tom Ellis), who takes him under his wing. When a harrowing incident threatens to upend his life, George is forced to run away. His destiny takes him on a wondrous adventure across the globe, reshaping his ideas of family, freedom, and love. As he embarks on a mission to change the world, he finds the support of people even against impossible odds.
The show highlights the confines of the society that a Black man was subjected to at the time, and the threats that always loomed above his head. It also shows the power plays of the privileged classes, with human relationships being used as bargaining chips in maintaining social status. But most importantly, it hails the dreamers and creators, pushing back against the past and heralding change. If the series on Hulu has you hooked, here are some more shows similar to ‘Washington Black’ for you to consider for your next stream.
12. Godless (2017)
Created by Scott Frank, ‘Godless’ is set in the 1880s in La Belle, New Mexico, a town inhabited almost entirely by women after a mining disaster results in the death of all men. Roy Goode (Jack O’Connell), a former protege of notorious criminal gang leader Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels), takes refuge in the town while on the run. The hunt for him leads Griffin and his gang to the town, where the residents band together to defend themselves against the invaders. As George receives love and shelter from strangers who take him in during his adventures across the globe in ‘Washington Black,’ so does Roy in ‘Godless.’ After arriving in La Belle, he stays with hardened widower and outcast Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery), who fights to defend him. The uprising of the Black people in the former series is also comparable to that of women here.
11. The Porter (2022)
‘The Porter’ is a period piece by Arnold Pinnock, Bruce Ramsay, and Aubrey Nealon inspired by real events in the 1920s. The narrative revolves around the Black men and women who sparked the civil rights movement. While seeking employment as railway porters, Black men with polished shoes, pressed dress, and proud posture are given preference. However, those do not come easily in the social setting that the community is forced to live in. Working together, railway workers across the US and Canada attempt to overcome all troubles to establish the world’s first Black union in the series. Their struggles reflect those that George faces for his racial identity in ‘The Porter.’
10. When They See Us (2019)
Helmed by Ava DuVernay, ‘When They See Us’ is based on real events that followed a brutal assault on a woman in CentralPark in New York in 1989. Five young Black males who are found to be present in the area at that time are arrested and charged with the crime by the police. Over the next 25 years, the boys maintain their innocence, fighting their convictions in the hope of being exonerated. The pressure they face from law enforcement is intense, but the support that they garner from the communities at the grassroots against the miscarriage of justice and the racially biased prosecution helps them carry on. The fight is reminiscent of that faced by George and the Black community on ‘Washington Black.’
9. Kindred (2020)
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Octavia Butler, ‘Kindred’ by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins centers Dana James (Mallori Johnson), a young woman and aspiring writer who moves to Los Angeles with her partner Kevin Franklin (Micah Stock) looking for a fresh start. However, before they can settle into their new home, Dana finds herself being pulled back and forth through time to a 19th-century plantation that is seemingly linked to her family history. While in the past, she is confronted with the dangers that the Black community faced at the time, and is pursued by the White owners of the land to be apparently killed. The show, similar to ‘Washington Black,’ brings the element of science fiction while representing a dark period of Black history.
8. The Book of Negroes (2015)
Created by Clement Virgo and Lawrence Hill based on the latter’s book of the same name, ‘The Book of Negroes’ tells the story of Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis), who is sold into slavery from her village in Africa at the age of eleven. Bought by a farm owner in South Carolina, she uses her midwifery skills to survive. With time, she finds love, marries, and has children. However, the apparent happiness is not meant to last as she and her child get sold off to different owners. At the onset of the Great War of Independence, Aminata flees her owner in New York and lands a job registering Black Loyalists for escape to freedom in Nova Scotia. Aminau goes to a place where no Black person, let alone a woman, has gone before with her life on the line, much like George in ‘Washington Black.’
7. Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (2020)
As the name suggests, ‘Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker’ tells the story of the titular person who overcomes all challenges to become the first female self-made millionaire in the US. Based on the biography ‘On Her Own Ground’ by A’Lelia Bundles, the series by Nicole Asher and Janine Sherman Barrois stars Octavia Spencer as C.J. Walker. She brings out her own line of hair care products, targeting particularly Black women and catering to their specific needs, and hawks it at the marketplace in the beginning. As her popularity grows, so does her ambition. She decides to open a factory and ramp up production, and fight to make her business a success in the male-dominated field of commerce. The journey of setting up something new is what George in ‘Washington Black’ shares with Madam C.J. Walker.
6. Them (2021)
‘Them’ by Little Marvin is a limited anthology series that explores terror among the homeless in the US. The first season is set in the 1950s and follows a family that moves to a white neighborhood of Los Angeles. While dealing with the curiosity of their neighbors, the family becomes the target of malevolent otherworldly forces that threaten to destroy them. Much like ‘Washington Black,’ the show interweaves the Black experience with fantasy, though it sides with the horror.
5. Lovecraft Country (2020)
Based on Matt Ruff’s book of the same name, ‘Lovecraft Country’ tells the story of young Atticus Freeman (Jonathan Majors), who sets out on a road trip in 1950s Jim Crow America in search of his missing father. Accompanied by his Uncle George (Courtney B. Vance) and friend Letitia (Jurnee Smollett), he faces the terror of racism in White America, as well as Lovecraftian monsters that lie awaiting them. Atticus’ determination to face all odds brings to mind the similar trait shared by George in ‘Washington Black.’
4. The Long Song (2018)
Created by Andrea Levy based on her own historical novel of the same name, ‘The Long Song’ follows the young and strong-willed slave July (Tamara Lawrance) during the final days of slavery in 19th-century Jamaica. Working on a plantation owned by Caroline Mortimer (Hayley Atwell), Judy becomes intrigued with the new overseer of the farm, Robert Goodwin (Jack Lowden), who seems determined to improve the quality of life for everyone present on the farm, the slaves and the free people alike. Exploring the themes of colonialism, slavery, racism, violence, and love, the show becomes reminiscent of ‘Washington Black’ as it depicts overcoming odds in pursuit of better things.
3. The Good Lord Bird (2020)
Helmed by and starring Ethan Hawke, ‘The Good Lord Bird’ is based on the eponymous novel by James McBride. The narrative is presented from the perspective of Henry “Little Onion” Shackleford (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a newly freed teenager who joins abolitionist John Brown (Ethan Hawke) on the crusade to put an end to slavery in the US. Henry encounters Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, and eventually finds himself at the famous 1859 Army depot raid at Harpers Ferry, one of the incidents that incited the Civil War. The adventures of the young boy and his relationship with his White mentor bring to mind the similar experiences of George in ‘Washington Black.’
2. Roots (2016)
‘Roots’ is a retelling of the classic novel by Alex Haley that depicts slavery in the US through the journey of a family who goes through the horrors. Kunta Kinte (Malachi Kirby) is a proud and educated man who gets captured and sold into slavery. However, he uses his education to inspire those around him to fight for their freedom. Kunta’s dream is to escape and return to his homeland, The Gambia. Among those suffering the same fate as him is his daughter Kizzy (Anika Noni Rose), who gets assaulted by her owner. A grim and heartbreaking tale that seeks to inspire hope through the portrayal of the unbreakable spirit of the characters, ‘Roots’ thus manages to capture the heart of ‘Washington Black.’
1. The Underground Railroad (2021)
Adapted by Barry Jenkins based on the novel of the same name by Colson Whitehead, ‘The Underground Railroad’ tells the story of slaves escaping the South in the 1800s using the titular path. While the Underground Railroad was originally a network of abolitionists, hidden routes, and safe houses that helped slaves escape to freedom, the show reimagines it as an actual network of railways operating underground with the help of engineers and conductors. It is this route that Cora Randall (Thuso Mbedu) takes to get out of Georgia, along with newcomer Caesar Garner (Aaron Pierre). There are a number of similarities between the series and ‘Washington Black,’ with the railways being a suitable fantasy substitute for the hot air balloon of the latter. The journey of the bright-eyed young woman on the path to freedom is also reminiscent of that undertaken by George in his show.
Read More: Is Washington Black a True Story?
