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Amazon Issues Answer to HBO’s ‘Confederate’ with Post-Reparations Drama

Posted byBy Kiersten Willis | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Will Packer (left) and Aaron McGruder began developing “Black America” early this year. (Paras Griffin/Stringer /Getty Images for Universal/@aaronmcgruder23/Twitter))

An America where reparations have been met for Black people will be realized onscreen thanks to Will Packer and Aaron McGruder.

Packer, a movie producer who is coming off the stellar performance of “Girls Trip,” and “The Boondocks” creator McGruder are helming the Amazon drama titled “Black America,” according to a Tuesday, Aug. 1, report from Deadline. Like HBO’s “Confederate,” it is set in an alternate U.S., but unlike that series, which focuses on a modern-day nation where slavery was never abolished, “Black America” sees African-Americans having secured Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as part of post-Reconstruction reparations. The Southern states have formed the sovereign nation of New Colonia, which has had a contentious relationship with the U.S. filled with assassinations and coups. In the present day, New Colonia has become one of the world’s most industrialized countries, while America has swiftly sunk into decline.

“It felt like this was the appropriate time to make sure that audiences and the creative community knew that there was a project that pre-existed and we are pretty far down the road with it,” Packer told Deadline of why the news of “Confederate,” which creators have pushed ahead with making despite public concern, spurred the announcement.

Many have been celebrating the timely reveal.

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