Ryan Reaves on TV show based on a his great-great-great-grandfather

Ryan S. Clark, NHL reporterNov 16, 2023, 11:30 AM ET

CloseRyan S. Clark is an NHL reporter for ESPN.

It was around two years ago when Toronto Maple Leafs winger Ryan Reaves said he received a phone call from someone about the idea of creating a TV show about his great-great-great-grandfather Bass Reeves, who was one of the first Black deputy U.S. Marshals.

Now it has become a reality. Paramount+ has aired the first three of the eight-episode series “Lawmen: Bass Reeves” starring David Oyelowo in the title role. The show, whose executive producer is “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, also stars Dennis Quaid.

“It’s pretty cool. Obviously, this guy was one of a kind in his field at a time when Black people weren’t necessarily respected in that field or in the community at all,” Reaves said. “For him to be in that position and have the career that he did. He was famous for [pursuing] a lot of people. … He got into multiple shootouts by himself.”

(Reaves’ name is spelled differently because his grandfather replaced one of the E’s with an A.)

Reaves first learned about his connection to Reeves more than two years ago after his father, Willard, researched their family history. Bass Reeves was born into slavery and eventually escaped north into territory where Indigenous tribes such as the Cherokee, Creek and Seminole resided, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society.

Reeves’ knowledge of the territory allowed him to serve as a guide for the Marshals whenever they had to enter that territory in an attempt to find fugitives. He was eventually named a deputy U.S. Marshal, a role he held for more than 30 years.

A story from the Chickasaw Enterprise in 1901 claimed Reeves arrested more than 3,000 people, while the Muskogee Times Democrat also reported that Reeves often single-handedly arrested criminals who had been charged with everything ranging from bootlegging to murder.

Author Art Burton wrote in his book “Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier…

Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/38825545/ryan-reaves-tv-show-based-great-great-great-grandfather

Author : Ryan S. Clark

Publish date : 2023-11-16 17:25:39

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