Stolen Brains, Slave Jails, and Ethnic Cleansing: D.C.'s Darkest Secrets EXPOSED

My National Geographic Series, Hidden History, premieres today. Learn about five harrowing stories from my hometown of Washington D.C.!

Today’s the day!

After working on it for nearly a year, Episode One of my new digital series has finally released on Nat Geo’s YouTube Channel.

*The link to the episode is at the bottom of this page* but please feel free to read this newsletter to learn more about the project and how you can support it fully!

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What is the show?

For more context, “Hidden History” is a four-part digital docu-series hosted by content creator Kahlil Greene (me). In each episode, I travel to a different American city–Washington D.C., New Orleans, Boston, and San Francisco–and shares four to five stories that shed light on some tragic, obscure, or unbelievable event that made the city into what it is today.

What can we expect in this episode?

This first episode focuses on Washington D.C., and discusses five topics:

1. D.C.’s Natives - the Anacostans were the Indigenous inhabitants of the DC area who fought against English colonists (from them, we derive the neighborhood name Anacostia)

2. The “Yellow House” Slave Jail - this torturous “slave jail” or “slave pen” was famously featured in “12 Years a Slave” and existed in the same area as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

3. The Pearl Incident - the largest attempt to escape from slavery was foiled by bad luck and a formerly enslaved Black man who betrayed the escapees

4. The Original Uncle Tom - Josiah Henson was an enslaved Black man whose autobiography inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin; although he was nothing like the stereotype made in his image

5. The Smithsonian “Racial Brain Collection” - the precursor institution to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History amassed body parts from around the world to prove white superiority; many of these remain in their possession to this day

How can we support this project?

Great Question: Here is an easy list (in the rank of importance)

1. Comment on the YouTube video

   1. Unfortunately YouTube’s algorithm can be a bit volatile and the early vibe in the comments can set the tone. Flood the comment section with positivity, gratitude, and excitement to set in on the right track

2. Forward this email to anyone who might be interested

   1. With just a few clicks, you can help me with one of the most direct and successful forms of marketing

3. Share it with your friends and family

   1. Drop the YouTube link in family group chats and get them to watch (and comment) as well. We want to spread the word and make sure everyone has access to this information!

4. Follow me on social platforms and share my posts about this project

   1. If you aren’t already, make sure you are following me on Instagram, TikTok, Substack, LinkedIn, and YouTube where I will be posting more updates about the project for you to easily repost and engage with

5. Share with educational institutions

   1. If you are in contact with a school or college, tell them about this project and its educational value (all claims are triple fact-checked). Invite them to include it into their curriculum or have me present the work for students. All they have to do is email info@genzhistorian.com

6. Send me messages of support

   1. I hate for this to be last on the list because it really means so much, but please feel free to comment or message me with any thoughts on the value of this project and what it means to you. All of that, at the end of the day, is the reason I do any of this work.

Finally, what you’ve been waiting for: the link!

Please enjoy, I worked so hard on this and know it will bring so much value to the people of this country (and the world!)