On March 8, the Lapidus Center presented the New York City premiere of WGN America’s Underground, which follows a group of courageous men and women who use their ingenuity, power and perseverance to attempt the greatest escape in history and break free-despite the dire consequences that awaited them on the other side.

Award-winning actress and activist Jurnee Smollett-Bell (Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor and The Great Debaters), along with co-star Alano Miller (TV’s Jane the Virgin and Person of Interest) joined Columbia University historian, Pulitzer Prize winner and Lapidus Center Advisor Eric Foner, and creators/executive producers Misha Green and Joe Pokaski on stage for a stimulating post-screening discussion moderated by Shola Lynch, Schomburg’s curator of Moving Image and Record Sound.

Watch the trailer.

Watch the conversation

A light moment. From left to right. Shola Lynch, Joe Pokaski, Misha Green, Jurnee Smollet-Ball, Alano Miller and Eric Foner. Photo Terrence Jennings.

Photo Terrence Jennings