The Real Black Women Who Inspired This Character in HBO's 'The Gilded Age'

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 08: Denee Benton and Louisa Jacobson are seen at the film set of “The Gilded Age” TV series on April 8, 2021 in New York City.

Fans of the HBO show the “Gilded Age” have come to admire the plucky writer, Peggy Scott, played by actress Denée Benton. But did you know she was inspired by multiple iconic Black women of her time?

For those who haven’t watched The Gilded Age, the show chronicles the lives of wealthy old-money families during the late 1880s. It also takes a look at the lives of prominent Black families and people, including Scott, who is an aspiring writer and journalist.

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Portrait of American journalist, suffragist and Progressive activist Ida Wells Barnett (1862 - 1931), 1890s.

Wells, the more well-known of the two figures, was born into slavery in Mississippi in 1862. Wells was freed after the Civil War and eventually pursued an invaluable career as a writer and activist. After the lynching of one of her friends, Wells dedicated much of her work to covering the horrors of racism and white mob violence. She later founded the National Association of Colored Women’s Club.

The Curse of Caste, Or, The Slave Bride: A Rediscovered African American Novel’ de Julia C Collins.

We know less about Collins’ early life. However, historians believe that she was born a free woman in the Northern part of the United States. Collins was a prolific writer, and her books The Curse of Caste and the Slave Bride are considered the first novels written by an African American woman.

While these certainly aren’t the only inspirations for Peggy Scott, it gives an interesting peek into the real-life history behind an adored fictional character.

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