Legacy in Layers: The Formation of Our Roots

Join the National Black Theatre for an intimate celebration of memory, legacy, and reclamation to use the past to inspire the FUTURE.

Together, we’ll reflect on the enduring power of Black theater, the necessity of collective memory, and the stories that continue to shape our culture today. This work is more than an archival project—it is a call to remember, to re-center the voices of our elders and ancestors, and to honor the lineage that informs our creative future. In a time when book bans and cultural erasure threaten our narratives, this effort helps carve new pathways for study, inspiration, creation, and healing. It ensures that the brilliance of Black cultural memory is not only preserved, but remains a guiding force for what’s next.

Event Details: During the Two days we are doing three events

• Legacy in Layers: The Visual Memory is a reflective journey through the images, materials, and moments that formed the historical and contemporary visual memory of National Black Theatre. Through a curated selection of archival footage and photographs, this exhibition will invite us to look closely at what has been preserved, what stories are still unfolding, and how memory lives in form and frame. Together, we can be inspired to envision the future layers of legacy, rooted in our foundation, shaped by community, and carried forward through images.
• Legacy in Layers: The Unpublished Manuscript offers an intimate glimpse into a rarely heard work, Soljourney Into Truth, written by NBT’s Founder, Dr. Barbra Ann Teer. This production was last performed on May 7, 1979 by the company of Liberators. This reading will bring this unpublished manuscript to life, inviting us to engage with the language, vision, and legacy of a playwright whose voice and spirit continue to resonate. This is a moment to sit with memory, possibility, and the power of The Black Arts Movement.
• Legacy in Layers: Reflections from our Elders is an intergenerational panel honoring the artists, organizers, and cultural workers whose visionary contributions laid the foundation for Black theater and liberation work today. Join us as members of the original company, come together to share personal stories, lessons learned, and reflections on the legacy of National Black Theatre. This panel invites us to listen deeply to the voices that hold history, to witness the care and conviction that carried movements forward, and to remember that we are here because of those who came before us.