Still image from “The Will of the Father.” // Photo by Jade Wilson

Black On Black Project Curated Conversations LIVE in partnership with the North Carolina Museum of Art. The conversation will feature Johnny Lee Chapman, III, Angela Thorpe, Anthony Otto Nelson, Jr. and Jade Wilson. #BOBPCuratedConversations

Virtual event will feature the online premiere of the short film “The Will of the Father.”

In 2020 the world has dealt with COVID-19 and quarantine, and then again we see more hashtags for African-American citizens — Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. The confluence of events led to more than a week of protests around the country, including in North Carolina. In some instances, even violence.

Instead of just talking about the protests themselves, Black On Black Project founder Michael S. Williams wants to go deeper and explore why so many citizens are in pain. By looking at some of the slave history in our city we can begin to look at the origins of these feelings. If we can understand where some of this pain comes from, we can begin to understand how to break it down and address it.

To do this, Williams will lead a conversation and virtual premiere of the short film "The Will of the Father," a performance piece that looks at some of the slave history of the Dorothea Dix property. The conversation will include some of the creatives involved in the piece, including Johnny Lee Chapman, III, poet; Anthony Otto Nelson Jr., dancer and choreographer; Jade Wilson, videographer and photographer; along with Angela Thorpe, director of the NC African-American Heritage Commission.

WEBINAR IS AT CAPACITY.
STREAM IT LIVE ON YOUTUBE.

Reference material for this episode of Curated Conversations:

• "Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave," Frederick Douglass

• "Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880," W.E.B. Du Bois

• "Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow," Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

• "The Red Record," Ida B. Wells-Barnett"

• "The True Story Behind The Wilmington Ten," Larry Reni Thomas

• "Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World," David Brion Davis

• "A People's History of the United States," Howard Zinn

• National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission) report, 1968

(Note: Look for these titles online at black-owned independent bookstores. Here’s a list to start with.)

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Curated Conversations features Black On Black Project founder Michael S. Williams chatting with members of the community. Watch the entire Curated Conversations series here.