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 served as a double agent for the Patriots and helped bring down the British at Yorktown; Harry Washington, who was enslaved by George Washington and escaped Mount Vernon to join the British troops; Elizabeth Freeman, previously known as Mum Bet, who sued one of the most prominent patriots in Massachusetts while living under his roof; and Abraham Peyton Skipwith, an enslaved man who used his proximity to power and his unusual literacy  to petition for his own freedom and become one of the first free Black landowners in Richmond, VA.     

“The 250th anniversary of the United States has presented us with an amazing opportunity to immortalize these previously unacknowledged founding figures who didn’t just fight for their country, but for their freedom,” said Steve Humble, Executive Producer and Chief Content Officer at VPM. “By piecing together their important contributions with fragments of documents and records, this film shines a light on the remarkable lives of these brave Americans who fought in the courts, fought for both sides on the battlefield, and fought through the radical act of living as free Black people in the earliest days of our nation.”

With limited historical representations available, the film brings these lesser-known figures to life visually through the talent of artist and archival producer, Hudson Campbell. Continuing a long legacy of artists reclaiming and reshaping black narratives, Campbell created each oil-based portrait by hand.  In consultation with historic advisors, these portraits were then animated with artificial intelligence tools, helping to supplement historical depictions and giving agency to these subjects on visual terms.

“My work examines how the past informs the future, exploring the evolution of both the stories being told and the mediums used to tell them,” said Campbell. “Drawing from my background in archival producing, I use research to translate the profound experiences of historical figures and the environment they inhabited into visual manifestations. By integrating generative AI into this process, I bridge the centuries-wide disconnect between these figures and modern viewers, breathing dimension into the past and making history intimately relatable.”

DECLARATIONS: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR will stream simultaneously with broadcast and be available on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS app, which is available on iOS, Apple TV, Android mobile and tablets, Android/Google TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV and tablets, Comcast, Samsung Smart TV, VIZIO and LG Smart TVs. 

DECLARATIONS: BLACK AMERICANS AND THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR is produced by VPM, Virginia’s Home for Public Media, in association with PBS.  Directed by Stacey L. Holman. Executive producers are Steve Humble and Mason Mills. Stacey L. Holman and Maya Tepler are writers and producers. Margaret Ebrahim is the Executive in Charge for PBS.

About VPM

As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects more than 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in news, education, arts and culture across its television, radio and digital channels. The VPM News team delivers award-winning coverage of Virginia’s General Assembly; statewide politics; educational, economic and legal issues; as well as the news of the day. VPM produces acclaimed series and documentaries, plus a range of music shows with local hosts curating selections in classical, jazz, hop-hop and alternative music. VPM also creates content through its Science Matters initiative and provides early childhood educational resources to families, caregivers and educators. Since 2021, VPM has operated Style Weekly, a magazine centered on deeper arts and culture coverage and local storytelling. Learn more at VPM.org and on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram
 and several channels on YouTube.

About PBS

PBS, with more than 330 member stations, offers all Americans the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television and digital content. Each month, PBS reaches over 36 million adults on linear primetime television, more than 16 million users on PBS-owned streaming platforms, 53 million viewers on YouTube, and 60 million people view PBS content on social media, inviting them to experience the worlds of science, history, nature, and public affairs and to take front-row seats to world-class drama and performances. PBS’s broad array of programs has been consistently honored by the industry’s most coveted award competitions. Teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS LearningMedia for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. As the number one educational media brand, PBS KIDS helps children 2-8 build critical skills, enabling them to find success in school and life. Delivered through member stations, PBS KIDS offers high-quality content on TV — including a PBS KIDS channel — and streaming free on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Video app, games on the PBS KIDS Games app, and in communities across America. More information about PBS is available at PBS.org, one of the leading dot-org websites on the internet, Facebook, Instagram, or through our apps for mobile and connected devices. Specific program information and updates for press are available at pbs.org/pressroom or by following PBS Communications on X.