Can you name the 19th century Black woman entrepreneur who funded hundreds of Black people to flee from slavery? Mary Ellen Pleasant reported in 1875 a net worth of 30 million US dollars. Which today would be worth just shy of one billion dollars. Join the students at Drapetomaniax Agricultural and Technical State University School as they learn all about this self-made millionaire abolitionist.
Drapetomaniax is created by Michael Harriot in collaboration between OtherTone, Sony Music Entertainment and Queer Media.
This episode features:
Professor MX Fa Rizzle Diamond
Black Billionaire Aspirant Guy Toure
City Girl Jody Simms
Special thanks to our voice actors:
Mary Ellen Pleasant Leila Gray or LaPorshe Thomas
Aunt April Ola Ronke
Aunt May Kim Baum
Aunt June Allegra White
Free person of color John Etienne
Quaker Friend David Easton
Marie Laveau Sabine Blaizin
Bank Teller Noleca Radway
Executive Producers Pharrell Williams, Scott Vener, Noleca Radway, and Moses Soyoola
Senior Producer Janicia Francis
Managing Producer JoAnn DeLuna
Production Coordinator Homero Radway
Production Assistant Gilianne Roberts-Atkinson
Writers Taylor Le Melle, Dallas Rico, Roderick Morrow, Danielle Solomon and Randolph Terrence
Audio Engineer Toni Paulsen
Fact checker LaPorsche Thomas
Music Supervisor Patricia Kihoro
Theme Song Freedom by Pharell Williams
Songs featured in this episode include: Wicked Cinema - Cold Case, Hitstreak - Michael Briguglio, Messages and Portraits - O Mio Babbino Caro, come to find out. - Le Melle, Ethos by Johannes Bornlof, Learn to Let Go - Ben Elson, El Baile del Barrio - El Equipo Del Norte, 80’s Horror Movie by DJ Denz The Rooster, and music by Chad Milner
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