Documentary Film: Talking Black in America—Performance Traditions

In the new documentary Talking Black in America—Performance Traditions, performers, historians and linguists weigh in on the meaning and critical importance of Black language to forms of expression like the blues, spirituals, spoken word, preaching, comedy, and hip hop, revealing how earlier traditions of orality give vitality and deeper significance to contemporary modes of African American performance art, from round dances to the freestyle lyricism of a cypher. African American performance traditions developed in concert with oral dexterity and a creative use of language. Today, those traditions continue to be a robust expression of Black identity and belonging, reflecting the power and resilience of Black American speech. 

We will be joined by special guests Dasan Ahanu, Piedmont Laureate 2023, and Mary D. Williams, performer and folklorist, for a post-film discussion.