Just like the bold manpower behind the Civil Rights Movement, Nat Turner’s slave revolt would not have been possible without the help of women.
As the history books narrate Turner’s deadly rebellion of 1831, he accumulated a mass following of nearly 50 slaves to enact his killing spree of whites throughout Virgina. The women involved in the uprising and those closest to Turner are very rarely mentioned in this monumental moment in American history.
“What made Nat Turner who he was as a man were these women who supported him, who surrounded him,” said The Birth of a Nation actress, Penelope Ann Miller. “They were strong and they were independent in spite of their circumstances.”
Fox Searchlight released a nearly four-minute featurette titled, “Women of Rebellion” ahead of next week’s theatrical release of, The Birth of a Nation. Cast members like Aja Naomi King, Aunjanue Ellis, and Gabrielle Union open up about the feminine bond that ultimately shaped Turner who became a notable preacher.
“It spoke to me…like no other script in my career has ever spoken to me. I had to do it,” Union said.
As the exclusive clips show tortuous acts by slave owners, Turner’s character is often seen grappling with the harsh realities that are happening right before his eyes. As a man, he appears defenseless against the forces that brutalize enslaved women.
Union continued, “These scenes really show how voiceless and powerless black women were and are over our bodies in our narratives.”
Each woman has an untold story and the stars of the film say they’re honored to portray these unsung figures.
Ellis, who plays Turner’s mother said, “There’s no greater joy than being able to tell stories of women who are a part of my culture, whose voices have been taken away from them and given the responsibility to give that voice back to them in some sort of way.”
Check out more of the interviews in the video above. The Birth of a Nation opens up in theaters, October 7th.
