My Pen Is Mighty
HBO Shows Black Elite Prospering In ‘The Gilded Age’
The flourishing community existed during this era beyond the small screen with its own luxury hotels, posh restaurants, stately mansions, and more.
Are you watching HBO’s “The Gilded Age”? If not, you should because it portrays a different side of Reconstruction era Black folks than we’ve ever seen on the small screen.
It’s evidenced in the eyes of everyone who encounters the gorgeous, astute, and immaculately dressed Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), who, from what I understand, is a composite of Black female achievers of her day such as prolific journalist Ida B. Wells-Barnett. This first season starts in 1882, and Wells-Barnett was in her early 20s at the time. That’s approximately the same age as Peggy, an aspiring writer who also happens to come from a wealthy Brooklyn family. To make her character feel authentic, executive producer/director Salli Richardson-Whitfield and historical consultant Erica Armstrong Dunbar teamed up behind the scenes of the production.
But first, a little about the period known as the Gilded Age. It’s a fascinating era, which occurred after the Civil War and ended around 1900. There was an economic boom throughout the country…
