True First Series: History That Leaves No Person of African Descent Behind

While we look ahead to a possible Kamala Harris presidency in 2020, we can’t forget about the woman who made it possible for Harris to run – Shirley Chisolm. Just one of the many stories of perseverance, strength and great personal sacrifice highlighted in this new UMC original series, “True First” illustrates the journeys of several iconic black men and women who are too often left out of the history books. Visit : https://umc.tv/truefirst/

History is the weaving of stories into the fabric of who we are as a people and a nation. We like to mark our journey with books, monuments, awards and commemorative plaques, setting in stone and ink the list of our collective achievements. Yet history is also written in the spaces between the mortar, the gaps that are left by those who decide how to structure the past. Until very recently, the gatekeepers who chose what to memorialize were almost exclusively men. And they were invariably white.

The True First project is a rescue effort. It is a passionate attempt to resurrect the men and women of African descent who were swept aside by the broad brush of history. These are the innovators, visionaries and creative minds that came before the people now credited with their accomplishments. They are also the leaders who were the first to break through the color barrier or reach milestones that had always been the exclusive domain of white privilege. The first African-American to be hired by the postal service, the mother of rock ‘n roll, the first Black man to run for President of the United States, the first Black Deputy Marshall. True leaders. True firsts.

This docudrama series sets the record straight. We’ve looked at what everyone else has taken for granted and turned it on it’s head. We’re finding people of African descent who have been erased from the historic record and what we’ve uncovered is genuinely fascinating.

True First is itself a true first. Each episode explores the life of a forgotten trailblazer of African descent who made an early and significant contribution to their craft or profession. Athletes, entertainers, pioneers and politicians all feature in a historical saga that spans from the birth of nations to the firsts of the new millennium. From the Wild West to Washington, their untold stories are at times heartbreaking, often astonishing, and always inspirational.