DECLARATIONS is part of PBS America @ 250, a multiyear celebration of U.S. history, culture, and children’s programming, which began in spring 2025 and continues through America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026 and beyond.
When the Declaration of Independence was signed 250 years ago, the Founders – many of whom were slaveholders – declared: “all men are created equal.” As their aspirational words and ideals of freedom were signed into existence and spread throughout the colonies, Black people recognized that these ideas included them. DECLARATIONS: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR examines how they fought for these tenets of democracy for themselves, their families, and their communities. The film features insights from historians and scholars including Leslie Alexander, Danielle Allen, Edward Ayers, Christopher L. Brown, Woody Holton, and others.
“This film is an opportunity to bring to light more hidden figures in history — stories that are important to the building of this nation,” said director Stacey Holman. “There is so much we can learn about agency, endurance and most importantly hope, that viewers can apply to their lives today. Anytime we can connect history with the present, it reveals so much about the human condition and how to navigate the world.”
“PBS has long been a home for powerful storytelling that expands our collective understanding of who we are as a nation,” said Margaret Ebrahim, Senior Director of Programing and Development at PBS. “DECLARATIONS: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR continues that tradition by bringing long-overdue visibility to the Black Americans whose courage, resistance and belief in the ideals of freedom helped shape the country from its earliest days.”
DECLARATIONS follows the stories of four Black Americans as they navigate our country’s fight for independence and their individual pursuits of freedom. Discover the stories of James Lafayette, who…