A State Of Mind
National Geographic Channel “The Story Of Us”
Morgan Freeman, narrator
National Geographic/ Revelations Entertainment/ 21st Century Fox 2017
Each episode is 50 minutes in length
6 Episodes in this series that airs on Wednesdays
A State Of Mind
Episode One With Morgan Freeman
October 11, 2017
The March Of Freedom
Guest: Albert Woodfox
Freedom is something we, in the United States, take for granted. The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes “freedom” as “...the quality of being free...unrestricted...a political right.” Yet, as Morgan Freeman explores the world, “freedom” is something to be attained only through intense struggle. The audience meets Chen, who grew up as a slave in a North Korean labor camp, eating mostly rice and working in a coal mine. If someone protested the food, they were told, “starve or get beaten, only eat what’s given.” What is being described is similar to a concentration camp from WWII. Finally escaping, Chen is in China, then South Korea, where he marries and has a family. He said he had to learn to be free, and that freedom is a state of mind
Albert Woodfox spent 43 years in solitary confinement and believes he was framed because he was thought to be part of the Black Panthers. Finally, he is a free man and now works as an advocate for prisoner rights. Imagine. Freedom all around you, but you live in a 9 x 6 box. We also meet historian Patrick Spurrough who talks about the original documents the Founding Fathers signed to form the United States. Going word by word, you see that to declare a new country, they (landowners who were free) had to declare themselves free from the King of England.
Other aspects presented in this episode are the freedom fights in Guatemala and the Civil War there, “Pussy Riot” in Russia concerning the all-girl rock band who protested President Putin and then were jailed, and Afghanistan with suicide bombers.
As you watch this episode, know that every minute around you, somewhere in the world, is a fight to be free. It seems never ending that from Biblical times until now, people are fighting and re-fighting over the same territories, and even water rights aren't safe, or air space. The word “territorial” comes to have many meanings, from a definition of a space to “that’s mine!” As President Abraham Lincoln wrote, “Those who deny freedom to others do not deserve it themselves.”
National Geographic Partners LLC and Revelations Entertainment have joined to produce this series. The series will run on television where over 730 million people, in 172 countries and 43 languages will see and hear it. The six episodes are “The March Of Freedom,” (October 11, 2017), “The Fight For Peace“ (October 18, 2017), “ The Power Of Love” (October 25, 2017,) “Us And Them” (November 8, 2017,) “The Power Of Us” (November 15, 2017) and “The Spirit Of Rebellion” (November 22, 2017.) The organization called (NGP) returns 27 percent of proceeds to the nonprofit National Geographic Society to fund work in the areas of science, exploration, conservation and education. For more information visit www.natgeotv.com or www.nationalgeographic.com. Visit on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, Linkedin and Pinterest.
Copyright 2017 Marie Asner
