Robert Smalls was born into slavery — and escaped by stealing a Confederate warship.

He sailed it to freedom with his family aboard, became a U.S. Navy captain, served in

Congress, and purchased the plantation where he was once enslaved. This is one of the

greatest untold stories in American history.

In this interview, Myiesha Majors sits down with ROB EDWARDS — the screenwriter behind

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, Treasure Planet, Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New

World, and iconic TV classics including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Full House, and

In Living Color.

Rob’s debut graphic novel DEFIANT: The Story of Robert Smalls is an Amazon bestseller

and a 2026 NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Literary Work: Graphic Novel.

The motion picture adaptation is currently in development through Legion M, the first

fan-owned entertainment company.

In this conversation, Rob and Myiesha cover:

✅ How Rob discovered Robert Smalls and why he had to tell this story

✅ The research process — including working with a Harvard professor and Robert Smalls’

great-great-grandson

✅ What the graphic novel format made possible that a screenplay alone couldn’t

✅ What the NAACP nomination means for Robert Smalls’ legacy

✅ The animated feature film in development and how fans can invest

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⏱️ CHAPTERS

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0:00 – Introduction & Welcome

2:30 – Who is Rob Edwards?

5:00 – The Story of Robert Smalls

10:00 – Bringing Defiant to Life as a Graphic Novel

13:00 – The NAACP Nomination & Community Impact

16:00 – Getting the Book into Schools

20:00 – The Animated Film & Legion M

26:00 – If Robert Smalls Could Watch This…

28:30 – Where to Find Defiant & How to Invest

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📖 GET THE BOOK

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Defiant: The Story of Robert Smalls → https://a.co/d/06sgo2eQ

Invest in the Defiant Film → legionm.com

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🔔 SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW

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Subscribe to Media with Myiesha → https://www.youtube.com/@mediawithMyiesha

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/mediawithmyiesha/

Follow Rob Edwards → https://www.instagram.com/iamrobedwards/

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#PrincessAndTheFrog #CaptainAmerica #BlackExcellence #Animation #HiddenHistory #Interview