One of the ongoing aftermaths of the anti-racism protests that have been spurred since the death of George Floyd is a historical reevaluation of historical figures, especially those who owned slaves.
From obviously flawed historical figures to those who are widely respected such as George Washington, the so-called cancel culture has swept upon some of the most well-known and important historical figures.
It is this reevaluation centered on the subject of race that has some calling for the ‘cancelling’ of Hamilton, a multiple Tony Award winning musical that has just been released as a movie on Disney+.
After its premiere in 2015, the hit musical has been the talk of Broadway and around the world, especially with its decision to cast non-white actors to portray the Founding Fathers of the US who were all white men.
That Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers that has been renowned for his efforts to ban international slavery in New York City, may come as a shock to those who are not aware of his entire story.
According to the Daily Mail and other sources, activists have pointed out how Hamilton married to a family that held slaves. Moreover, his involvement in a trading company that also took part in the slave trading business has also troubled the activists.
Some, like actor Michael Rapaport, had argued that the musical itself is troublesome because it is a singing praise of George Washington, who was also a slave owner. Some found these arguments to stretch too far since Hamilton himself did not personally own slaves.
One of the more refined points came from Tracy Clayton, who hosts “Strong Black Legends” on Netflix. Clayton explained how the musical, like any other creation, cannot be perfect.
Instead, she says that she appreciates how the show attempted to bring in a new perspective by telling the story of white men through the mouths of non-white actors. She added that the musical gave her great strength and courage when she most needed it.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of Hamilton, expressed his gratitude to Clayton. He said that he tried his absolute best to incorporate as much message and representation into a 2.5 hour musical that took him 6 years to create.
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Replaced!