Barkley producing short film series on black history

Charles Barkley is sharing lesser-told stories of black history as part of a new documentary series.

The NBA Hall of Famer and his company, Round Mound Media, have teamed up with director Sheldon Candis and Wondros to produce four short films about black heroes and black histories that aren't taught in schools, according to Peter White of Deadline.

The first film in the series tells the story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last survivors of the slave ship Clotilda who went on to found a settlement called Africatown near Mobile, Alabama.

"This project came out of my desire to move this country forward, guided by an understanding where we came from. That's why we set out to uncover the buried history of black heroes in Alabama, from slavery through the civil rights era," Barkley said.

"The shockwaves of protests in response to the killing of George Floyd have shown us all a country in mourning," he added. "And it strengthened my resolve that we must reckon with America's past if we want to create a more equitable future."