The first episode develops the relationship between James Jackson III, a rich plantation owner's son and Easter, a slave. James marries a wealthy Southern lady, but he carries on with a lifelong affair with Easter, which will result in the birth of a girl, Queen. Queen's fair skin makes her soon notice that she is not as black as her fellow slaves. She is taken into the main plantation house to be the personal slave of James' daughter, where she spends her youth years trying to discern if Jackson is her real father. The Civil War seriously affects James' plantation putting an end to the old ways and the family matriarch tells Queen to find some other place to live.
Halle Berry
Queen
Ann-Margret
Sally Jackson
Jane Krakowski
Jane
Frances Conroy
Mrs. Benson
Raven-Symoné
Queen
Tim Daly
Col. James Jackson Jr.
Danny Glover
Alec Haley
Paul Winfield
Cap'n Jack
Jasmine Guy
Easter
Christopher Allport
Union Office
Erik King
James McDaniel
Leo Burmester
Henderson
Madge Sinclair
Dora
Linda Hart
Mrs. Henderson
Martin Sheen
James Jackson Sr.
Ossie Davis
Parson Dick
Patricia Clarkson
Lizzie
Peter Maloney
Perkins
Sada Thompson
Samuel E. Wright
Alfred
George Grizzard
Mr. Cherry
Dennis Haysbert
Davis
Richard Jenkins
Mr. Benson
Patrick Malone
Simon
Jussie Smollett
Simon