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Slavery's untold story

Tayo Popoola discovers the story of the slaves owned by the Cherokee Indian tribe.

In Oklahoma, Tayo Popoola discovers the story of the slaves owned by the Cherokee Indian tribe.

Since the emancipation of the slaves in the 19th Century, there has been an often uneasy relationship between the so called “Freedmen” and their former masters, both racial minorities with long histories of persecution in the US. This documentary uncovers their extraordinary twinned history, and investigates its legacy for the two communities today.

In 2017 the Freedmen won a long battle to be admitted as full members of the Cherokee tribe. From Tahlequah to Muskogee, Tayo Popoola travels through the Cherokee heartland to hear powerful personal stories from both sides of the divide, and to ask what the future holds for their communities.

(Photo: Two Cherokee Native American dancers pose for pictures along the highway in Cherokee, North Carolina, 2016. Credit: George Rose/Getty Images)

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Sun 19 May 2019 17:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 14 May 2019 12:32GMT
  • Tue 14 May 2019 17:06GMT
  • Tue 14 May 2019 21:06GMT
  • Wed 15 May 2019 01:32GMT
  • Sat 18 May 2019 08:32GMT
  • Sun 19 May 2019 17:06GMT