I am beginning to celebrate Black History Month with this memory: Me and John Lewis, who I interviewed and then portrayed in my play and film LET ME DOWN EASY.
GuiltyGuiltyGuilty and now the work continues.
I was thrilled to get a chance to broadcast the work of Michela Marino Lerman when the NYT asked me to participate in their Legends & Heirs feature for the T Magazine Culture issue. Gift link to the article in my bio! @tmagazine photographer @florahanitijo stylist @seemanagement
In her play “This Ghost of Slavery,” published in The Atlantic’s December issue, the playwright and actress Anna Deavere Smith used contemporary interviews supplemented with primary-source historical materials to inform characters’ dialogue. Smith spoke with people absorbed into the criminal-justice system, activists, and social-justice workers, many of them associated with the nonprofit organization Chicago CRED, which seeks to help young people ensnared in gangs or the juvenile-justice system. She blended these interviews with 19th-century archives, transcripts, diaries, and historical accounts of Maryland. “I’ve been trying to become America word-for-word for almost four decades,” Smith says. “This Ghost of Slavery” reveals the power of historical trauma to shape behavior in the present day. Read the full play at the link in our bio. #theatre #BlackHistoryMonth
I interviewed Julian Manyika when he was 11. He told me he was a “consequentialist”. He just graduated from MIT.
Taos Proctor was bigger than life. Performing him in my play “Notes From the Field” gave me the oomph I needed to get through all 19 characters in the show. RIP dear Taos , I loved you so. #TaosProctor #YurikTribe #notesfromthefield
“We have always had resistance. We didn’t just stand by and let these things go down.” The actor and playwright Anna Deavere Smith reads from her play “This Ghost of Slavery,” which was published in the Atlantic’s special December issue on Reconstruction. For this original work, Smith blended her contemporary interviews with historical accounts of Maryland in the mid-1860s, tracing the ramifications of slavery through the current criminal-justice system and revealing the power of historical trauma to shape behavior in the present day. Read the full play at the link in our bio.
I’ll be chatting with @brothercornelwest after the Nov 21 performance of Twilight Los Angeles, 1992, moderated by @broadwayblack. Join us on @signaturetheatre’s Facebook or Instagram pages to tune in.
Please join me this Wednesday evening for a new in-depth discussion: On Art and Activism presented by @92ndstreety at 8pm ET. I will be in converzation with Agnes Gund and Catherine Gund about @aggiemovie, a feature length documentary which explores the nexus of art, race, and justice. Link in Bio via linktree #art #justice #activism
Join us for a special three-part series featuring a conversation and keystone talk on reimagining education starting tomorrow! #lincolncenter #education #keystone Visit lincolncenter.org for more info!
Repost from @speakerpelosi • The person who is running the Executive Branch of our government is deranged, unhinged, and dangerous. @60Minutes
Tomorrow at 12noon EST is part 2 of the Lincoln Center’s 3 part series. Join me for this insightful talk on education in America. Q&A to follow. #LCactivate #lincolncenterathome #virtualevent #education #arts #artists #educators Image credits go to the Lincoln center AT HOME. Visit lincolncenter.org for more info.
I recently had the honor of working with Getty (@gettymuseum) and Tess Taylor (@tessathon) on a new podcast called Recording Artists: Intimate Addresses, a show exploring the lives of artists through the letters they wrote. What an exciting experience to voice artistic luminaries such as Frida Kahlo, Marcel Duchamp, and Meret Oppenheim. Much like the work I have done in the theater for over four decades now, I walked in these artists’ words by reading letters that each of them wrote — verbatim. It was a privilege becoming these inspiring individuals, however briefly. And I hope you can take some time to listen to this podcast and discover a new — and intimate — side to these public figures. Recording Artists is available everywhere you find podcasts.
With wonderful Sarah Manyika. Yesterday she spoke at Schomberg Festival about her book “Between Starshine and Clay”
Many thanks to Dr. Christopher Emdin for joining me today for a captivating talk presented by Lincoln Center! Don’t miss the next two! Visit www.lincolncenter.org This is a 3 part series, April 8th & 10th. Up next: we will be discussing #education in America, the historical context that affects this system today, and how #teachers and #schools can work toward bringing #humanity into their institutions. #LCactivate #LincolnCenter #Arts Picture credits – created and owned by Lincoln Center AT HOME
Join us tomorrow, Tues March 30th @6pm EST for a round table discussion covering how bold leadership is reshaping regional theatres across the country. Tickets are free to the public. Visit nyuskirball.org for more info.
The Atlantic presents The Inheritance Project virtual event. In case you were unable to join us live, please check out the link in my bio. #AtlanticInheritance
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, Jan. 15 @7PM PDT: Get ready for @1stchurchla’s 3rd annual #FulfillingTheDream, the inspiring #virtualconcert experience uplifting Dr. King’s legacy of advancing #racialjustice. Guest appearances by myself and @KillerMike! Link in bio. #MLKDay #DrKingDay #SocialJustice
Every week Chris Hayes asks the big questions. How do we make sense of these moments in history? He and I cover these tough questions within his new episode of Why is this Happening? Check it out! Link in bio.
I was invited to join @trymaine.lee’s show on @nbcnewsnow to discuss the past year and what we have achieved and what we have left to do. One year after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, Can You Hear Us Now? takes a look at how politics, policing and conversation around race has changed and what hasn’t. Panelists included: #MartinLutherKingIII, #AmandaSeales, and #SandyDarity. To watch the full episode check out the link in my bio. Can You Hear Us Now? One Year Later
I’m joining forces with @PlanetWordMuseum along with people and organizations in nearly every country for #GivingTuesday–a global day of giving and unity that will take place on Nov 29, 2022. Please consider giving to this vital organization: www.planetwordmuseum.org/donate
Talking to Agnes Gund and her daughter TONIGHT (8pm ET) about @aggiemovie the documentary film that unfolds Aggie’s extraordinary commitment to justice and art. This #virtual event is presented by @92ndstreety and free to the public. Link in bio via linktree for more details. #art #justice #purpose #film #kindness #humility #hope #artists #virutalevent #freetalk #freetickets #free
Last chance to get tickets! Tonight @6pm EST Setting the Stage for What’s Next: The Future of American Theatre. Joining me: Nataki Garrett #osfashland, Hana S. Sharif #repstl, and Eric Ting #calshakes Visit: nyuskirball.org for more info! @nyuskirball #virtualevents #skirballtv #freetickets #theatre Image is owned and credited to NYUSkirball.
I am pleased to share with everyone Lincoln Center’s 2021 virtual gala hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater. Gala premiere is tonight at 7:30pm ET, however, purchase their on demand pass and access their content from April 15th – 25th. Special guests include: myself, Lil Buck, Pedrito Martinez, Veronica Swift, Michael Rodriguez and Bill Clinton. Support the Arts! Visit 2021.jazz.org/gala-2021 for more info. #deedeebridgewater #gala #specialevent #specialguest #LincolnCenter #arts #jaz
