Peacock has released its trailer for their upcoming documentary film The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, a new film set to explore the life of one of America's most celebrated and misunderstood activists. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks is based on the biography by Jeanne Theoharis and is executive produced by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien. The new documentary will premiere on Peacock on October 19, 2022.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks is not just another rehash of Rosa Parks' famous bus boycott. The film aims to give us a deeper look at one of the most active and impactful civil rights activists of the 20th century. The new film will cover the full breadth of her accomplishments, in part to give a more full picture of Parks beyond what we learn in school. Instead of focusing on one single accomplishment, the film will fully explore the scope of her decades-long career and the complexities of her character.

The new trailer gives us a glimpse into the new side of Parks and sets out the clear goal of demystifying a character whose legacy was sanitized through decades of retellings of a single act of protest by Parks. The trailer shows us just how extraordinary parks was, and how her commitment to racial justice was a lifelong endeavor rather than just the aforementioned act of protest.

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The film is directed by Yoruba Richen and Johanna Hamilton, who weave together interviews from academics and activists such as Bryan Stevenson, Patrisse Cullors, and Ericka Huggins, together with personal stories from her family, and remarkable footage of Parks herself to create a moving and complex portrait of one remarkable woman.

Of the new film, O'Brien said, "[t]he Rosa Parks of American history – the quiet, demure and tired seamstress taking a seat on the bus – is simply a fable. The real Rosa Parks, whom we explore in this film, is a lifelong activist, outspoken strategist and freedom fighter." She continued, "[m]y hope is that this documentary, alongside [Jeanne Theoharis]'s incredible book and the free teacher curriculum that she has created with Zinn Educational Project, helps to redefine Rosa Parks’ legacy and lead to a fuller understanding of her place in history.”

The Zinn Education Project was developed in response to state laws that restrict how race and history are taught in school. As a part of its mission, the project is giving away more than 16,000 copies of the young readers’ edition of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, courtesy of Lush Cosmetics and through a grant provided by the Ford Foundation/Soledad O’Brien Productions.

You can watch the trailer for the film below. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks will be released on October 19 on Peacock.