{"id":13094,"date":"2023-08-28T10:01:44","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T14:01:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=13094"},"modified":"2023-08-28T10:01:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T14:01:44","slug":"morgan-freeman-shines-light-on-forgotten-black-war-heroes-in-new-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2023\/08\/morgan-freeman-shines-light-on-forgotten-black-war-heroes-in-new-documentary.html","title":{"rendered":"Morgan Freeman Shines Light on Forgotten Black War Heroes in New Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Regarding Black history trailblazers, the names Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and Maya Angelou are usually mentioned, but they\u2019re only the tip of the iceberg. There\u2019s a vast number of Black stories that have been swept under the rug for years.<\/p>\n

Now, actor Morgan Freeman is spotlighting the 761st Tank Battalion, the first all-Black tank unit to serve in combat during World War II. The unsung heroes of that brave Army team led the United States in defeating Nazi Germany, changing the scope of the six-year-long war. In a trailer, Freeman said, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t make any sense that American history doesn\u2019t include Black people to the extent that it should.\u201d<\/p>\n

The documentary comes as the efforts of Black pioneers are being erased in droves as politicians work to erase stories of Black excellence in revised curriculums in schools and deny the struggles of Black Americans throughout history. Freeman, who said he\u2019s been chasing the story of the 761st \u201cforever,\u201d was the executive producer for the History Channel documentary, \u201c761st Tank Battalion: The Original Black Panthers.\u201d The Oscar winner said what struck him the most about this story was \u201cthe fact that all of this is true, and nobody knows about it,\u201d he told HuffPost.<\/p>\n

Freeman, who served in the Air Force out of high school, has personal ties to the heroes\u2019 stories. Two relatives, Uncle Willie and Uncle Jesse, were called to fight in WWII, but the mystery of their whereabouts after serving in the military left him seeking answers for decades. The questions surrounding their journeys helped motivate Freeman to start the documentary and uncover countless Black soldiers\u2019 lost and unwritten stories. Throughout the documentary, Freeman finds out many new facts about the 761st and even about his family members who served in the military.<\/p>\n