Anna Deavere Smith Instagram – 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 | Posted on 03/Feb/2024 02:23:23
