An Adopted Woman Tries to Uncover Her Hidden History in the Netflix Series ‘Black Earth Rising’

In the Netflix series Black Earth Rising, a young woman named Kate Ashby (Michaela Coel) who works for lawyer Michael Ennis (John Goodman) approaches her adoptive mother (Harriet Walter), who is also an attorney, in order to find out from where she came and why her history has remained hidden for so long. The effort to find this answer takes Kate from her life in London to Rwanda where her past is put front and center.

Adopted by a human rights attorney after the Rwandan genocide, legal investigator Kate Ashby confronts her past when she takes on war crimes cases.

The series premieres on Netflix January 25, 2019.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.