True story based on a book with IP rights of how the co-writer's enslaved great-grandmother risked her life sewing secret codes into quilts to help fugitives escape while struggling to find her own code to freedom to save herself, her daughter, and the abused white slave owner's wife and handicapped daughter locked in the attic. Relevant for today as people face the universal question of "Why can't I leave a known life of bondage, whether in a job or marriage, for an unknown life of freedom?" The protagonist's emotional journey from replacing hate and revenge to love and forgiveness. Aspirational to inspire Black women and men today to face the challenges of inequality as they realize the even greater challenges of their great-great grandparents on whose shoulders they stand in the quest for freedom and equality. 

SYNOPSIS:

Delcy, a headstrong, outspoken enslaved girl craving a normal life of freedom, sees her parents ripped from her and sold away, and must serve the cruel slave owner and his critical but conflicted trophy wife hiding emotional fragility. Unable to suppress her rage she boils out against them and as punishment is raped, bearing a daughter who she can't reveal the slave owner as the father. As a teen, Delcy becomes part of a secret movement of courageous Black slave women who risk their lives sewing genius secret codes into quilts to help fugitive slaves escape North, yet struggles to find her own freedom code for herself and her daughter. Like those held in physical, emotional, or psychological bondage she faces the universal question relevant for today, "Why can't I leave a known life of bondage for an unknown life of freedom (whether in a job or marriage)?" As Delcy witnesses the abuse and bondage of the white slave owner's wife and how they locked their blind, handicapped daughter in an attic, Delcy struggles to overcome the bondage of hate and revenge to free herself, her daughter, the white slave owner's wife and daughter to replace hate and revenge with love and forgiveness.

The tone is aspirational and triumphant to inspire people day whether Black, people of color, handicapped, white, women, children, LGBQT, or other marginalized people to face the challenges of social injustice and inequality by standing on the shoulders of ancestors who faced horrific challenges in their quest for freedom and equality.

Co-writers: Dr. Clarice Boswell, based on her book with IP rights, telling the true story of her great- grandmother and national historian of the Quilt Codes

Ricki Linksman, author, educator, screenwriter, focused on true untold stories of people who triumph over challenges, personal and social issues

Laurie Ashbourne, screen/writer producer.

Available: 1) Feature film script; 2) Also available as limited 6-part TV series, with Episodes 1 and 2 scripts and TV Bible; 3) pitch deck, 4) one pager; 5) book from which script was adapted, 6) actual authentic quilts; and 7) videotaped interviews of the 7 generations until today of the protagonist and clip showing relevancy of Freedom Code to people today