Race in America: Accepting Difference, Standing Shoulder to Shoulder

Race in America: Accepting Difference, Standing Shoulder to Shoulder
For decades Anna Deavere Smith, who is said to have pioneered a form of documentary-style drama, has been listening to people across the country from all walks of life, using Walt Whitman’s idea “to absorb America” as an inspiration. During this presentation, to illustrate her goal of bringing “people across the chasms” of “the complex identities of America,” Ms. Smith will include theatrical performance elements, portraying people she has interviewed – and recreating a diversity of emotions and points of view on questions of race and social justice. Listening and empathy have the power to transform — a person, a relationship, a moment, a movement. In her art and activism, Smith insists: you must develop your ear to have a voice. With tensions high, the country divided, her call to listen feels as urgent now as ever.