The Journey Play

The Journey: From Shackles of Oppression to Mantles of Hope (A One-Act Drama about African American Historical Experience)

by Padmore Agbemabiese

THE PLAY The play, The Journey: From Shackles of Oppression to Mantles of Hope captures the African American multi-faceted and multi-generational historical experience from slavery, through the struggles of the civil rights period, to today when they gained the right to vote and be voted into power. Presented in an African storytelling style, The Journey: From Shackles of Oppression to Mantles of Hope, opens with Barbara and her daughter Keisha discussing their poverty and what it means to be born black. It is in this narrative mode that Barbara invokes the poignant past, the journey of African Americans from Africa through the Middle passage to the Americas. The narrative reveals the African American experience and the known and unknown significant sacrifices Black peoples made in their fight for social justice. The play, therefore, concerns itself with the journey in the race uplift, as well as the personal and communal struggles and triumphs of a people in a racist dominated environment. It opens up the genetic memory, questioning why the continuity and why not a change in the African American experience. The Journey: From Shackles of Oppression to Mantles of Hope speaks to the trajectory of black people’s social, political, economic and intellectual history. ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT Dr. Padmore Agbemabiese is a prolific and versatile poet and dramatist, who have earned a place among the coterie of important African authors. His writings cut a path to the voices of people whose frustrations, pains, tears and desperation he expresses in his creative works. Padmore Agbemabiese persistently uses his creative works as a catalyst for social change much as they make your heart wheel with the stars, and your soul break loose with the wind. His dramatic oeuvre provides primarily a thematic geography that lends itself to raising the consciousness of those who compete aggressively “to win”their dreams in life— all which before seemed bankrupt to them. He is published in numerous anthologies in the US, in Africa and in Europe. Some of his poems have appeared in Essence Magazine, Come Into Our Whirl, African Weekender, Taj Review (India), and POESA-An International Journal of World poetry. Dr. Padmore Agbemabiese is a professor of English and African American and African Studies, and lectures in the US.

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The Journey: From Shackles of Oppression to Mantles of Hope

Copyright December 20, 2008 Padmore Enyonam Agbemabiese Columbus, Ohio

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical. This includes photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the written permission of the authors

Other titles by Padmore Agbemabiese The Smell of Exile— poetry Why Can’t Anyone Hear Me When I Cry?— a novel Go Ask Grandma— a novel Mama, When Is Enough, Enough?— a play Senyee Wom Alea, — Ewe poetry Migblem Di Kpor, — Ewe poetry Gathering Footprints Lost in the Sands of Time— a Dance-Drama about Africa

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CHARACTERS 1. Barbara.… … … … … … … … … . … … Mother of Keisha 2. Keisha. … … … … … … … … … … … ..The 12 year old school girl 3. Tubman… … … .… … … … … … … … .Abolitionist 4. Lena… … … … … … … … … … … … … A pregnant Black woman (1) 5. Margaret… … … .… … … … … … … … .Black nursing mother (2) 6. Letty… … … … … … … … … … … … … A Black woman (1) 7. Basil… … … … … … … … … … … … … Black man (1) 8. Brister… … … .. … … … … … … … ..… .Black man (2) 9. John … .… … … … … … … … … … … ....Black Man (3) 10. Lloyd … … … … … … … … … … … … ...a whiten man who is a slave owner 11. Willie… … … … … … … … … … … … … a young Black man who likes to play music 12. Sarah… … … … … … … … … … … … … .a Black woman and activist 13. Douglass… … … … … … … … … … ........an Abolitionist 14. King… … … … … … … … … … … … .......Civil Rights Leader 15. Eldern… … … … … … … … … … … … … .a young black boy in his 40s, who wants to be president

(Setting: A simple living room with few amenities— a small table in one corner, a couch center stage and two chairs located on the far edge of the stage. There is an old time radio-box on the table. Barbara and Keisha will be using these chairs, later. It is in the morning and Barbara, standing by the table, humming a song is preparing packed lunch for Keisha, who is still in bed. NOTE: The play is organized in a way that one person could play multiple roles at different times). Barbara:

Keisha, where are you?

Keisha:

(Responds sluggishly). Mom, I am right here in my bedroom

Barbara:

Why? Come over here. (Keisha enters sluggishly but stands by the door). Are you not going to school today? Get dressed, you are getting late.

Keisha:

(She stands at the entrance of the room) Mom, I don’t want to go to school anymore.

Barbara:

Why say that? Are you ill? Don’t you know school is our civil rights to self-awareness?

Keisha:

Mom, I'm embarrassed… ..

Barbara:

Embarrassed? How?

Keisha:

Going to school everyday in shredded pants. (Pause) And when it rains, I have no means of staying warm.

Barbara:

Is that right?

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Keisha:

(Shrugs her shoulders) No matter what I do, my grades are not improving; I have had four tutors yet I still get Cs and Ds; we do not have money, enough money to buy me even a computer to help me do my homework. Why?

Barbara:

Time, time will soon change that, my daughter. You know we do our best.

Keisha:

You don’t understand. Other students in my school see me and laugh. (Walks round the room.) Look, we have no car, our water fountain is broken and our washbasin is out of order.

Barbara:

Daddy will fix it soon.

Keisha:

What about the gas? It doesn’t work and our electricity has been cut off for three months now. Why? You and Daddy work on two jobs, why aren’t we like those white neighbors over there?

Barbara:

(Looks sullen). The fault, my dear daughter, is not in our stars.

Keisha:

Then where is it?

Barbara:

It is in our human nature; they say we have the wrong skin color and for that matter, some people make it a point to exploit us.

Keisha:

Who are they?

Barbara:

Baby, (pauses) I know of your embarrassment but Daddy and I work so hard so that we can put food on the table so that you don’t hunger for food. We do this so that you can stay alive and be somebody some day.

Keisha:

I'm not talking about my hunger for food ... No. I'm hungry for things we do not have nor own. A TV set, stereo-system, shiny shoes, in fact, beautiful clothes I can have for my Sunday school or for my prom night, and of course, good books that they have up in white schools. Don’t I deserve them too?

Barbara:

You deserve them, and you will have them when the time comes.

Keisha:

Mama, I am in high school, the prime of my life and I want to seize this opportunity to read Shakespeare, Beethoven and other books I've heard about but they tell me I'm not fit to read.

Barbara:

Babe, make me a list and I will get them for you.

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Keisha:

Mama, you don’t understand. Why aren’t our schools having good labs and good libraries? Why don’t we have neatly painted buildings like the white schools? Mom, tell me something.

Barbara:

(Holds her gently). My daughter, there is time for everything under this earth. There is a time to sow and a time to reap. One day you will have what you need.

Keisha:

In our Black schools?

Barbara:

Yes. Soon, our Black schools will look just the same like all other schools.

Keisha:

What a joyful day it will be.

Barbara:

The star of good fortune does not shine only in the daytime. It could shine in the morning; it could at dawn or it could at night. Just wait… .

Keisha:

But, how long? How long should it take to happen? Why should we be so modest that we fear to take the bull by the horn?

Barbara:

My daughter, this great nation of ours is divided socially between the haves and have-nots; racially it is separated between blacks and whites and economically between the rich and the poor. That is why everything that looks black is how it is right now.

Keisha:

So, because we are black we are poor and we have to be the have-nots. Who thinks that way? Can’t this thinking be changed?

Barbara:

Yes, (takes her aside and points to the sun in the east) we can but, slowly. As the sun rises each day, the wind of freedom also blows nearer and it cannot be stopped. I can feel it in the power of your dreams.

Keisha:

I want to be in the wind of change on the road to freedom now, to right the so many wrongs in our society. I want it now…

Barbara:

You surely will but, for now, you must complete your education.

Keisha:

Why?

Barbara:

It will give you the power to right the wrongs. You know something, (she pats Keisha on the shoulder.) it is for lack of knowledge that many of our people perish. So, take your schooling seriously and gain the power of knowledge.

Keisha:

Mama, why can’t I bring the change now?

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Barbara:

You can. I know you can. Unfortunately, humility is the ladder of every ambitious black soul with which he or she can climb the steep and craggy hills of oppression, until he or she attains freedom. (She chants the words, “Sweet low, sweet chariot.”She does not sing the rest of the song.) That is the road on our journey, from shackles of oppression to mantels of hope in today’s world.

Keisha:

(Indifferent and looking straight at the mother.) Mom, I understand but, why with humility? The road to the top is for those who gamble with life's uncertainties, and those who view setbacks as opportunities to excel. Who are we to be so slow moving this way? And why do we have to endure suffering and hatred all this long without saying a word?

Barbara:

(Sober). You are wrong. We are a nation of fighters. On the journey from Africa to the Americas, we have been fighting. We fought with our heart and soul when we were torn away from land of Africa. During the Middle Passage, we fought tooth-and-nail, drowned ourselves; and to show our bravery we took our own lives. When we landed in the Americas, we fought the slave master, revolted on all the islands. Have you heard of the Zumbi and the Bahia revolts of Brazil, the Haitian Revolution, the Maroons of Suriname, and the Bussa of Barbados?

Keisha:

That’s a lot of fighting.

Barbara:

Baby, you’ve heard nothing yet.

Keisha:

Is that right?

Barbara:

Have you heard of Nat Turner, Cinque and the Amistad. Yes, Cinque, that man from Africa who stood up and faced the white man on the Amistad, and Kunta Kinte, yes, Kunta Kinte. There was John Brown too… .

Keisha:

John Brown the white man?

Barbara:

Yes, John Brown the white bearded man, he was on our side. I can’t forget the lives we lost in the fight for freedom.

Keisha:

What a long journey, full of battles to be won just for our freedom.

Barbara:

And we still do fight whilst chasing our dreams. Come, sit here with me and I will tell you a story of who we are and where we came from. (They

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sit on the two chairs that are in the corner of the stage). If you don't know where you come from, you may not even know which road will take you to where you are going. But if you know where you come from, any road will take you where you are going. Listen to me. (Pause and clears her throat). Many centuries ago, Europeans went to Africa in ships; one of the ship was called Amistad, Keisha:

Ooh, Amistad means “Friendship”in Spanish.

Barbara:

Yes, it means friendship but when the supposed friendship ship arrived in Africa, they captured African people and brought them to the Americas as slaves.

Keisha:

Our history teacher told us Europeans went to Africa to trade and help them develop because, Africa is the birthplace of all diseases, strange tribal wars and a land where wild animals roam the streets. He said, he read that in the history books in college.

Barbara:

That is not true, my child. (Authoritatively) Africa is none of those things. Africa is the Garden of Eden, the land of peace and love; it is the great continent with the largest natural resources in the world. The people are hardworking, loving; in fact, they are a community where everyone is each other’s keeper.

Keisha:

Then, our teacher lied to us. The history books are also full of lies.

Barbara:

Yes, the history books are full of lies. The Europeans lied to the Africans too.

Keisha:

I can see that.

Barbara:

They told the Africans they had come among them as friends and want to trade with them. Instead, when they came, they captured the Africans, took their gold and diamonds, captured them, and transported them as slaves to the Americas.

Keisha:

Took them as slaves? That is unfair, it is cruel.

Barbara:

Worse than that. (Takes Keisha to the pictures on the wall and points to the pictures one by one. If possible, pictures of slaves representing each situation mentioned could be projected on the wall/screen, in place of

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pictures on the wall.) My child, the journey from Africa to the Americas, the brutality of being torn from one’s home and family, is something we can explain, less talk about. The painful but bitter ordeal on the in the slave slave-ship on the sea, something we call the Middle passage… … .only our tears can tell its story. When we landed in the Americas, the horrible but dreadful life on the cotton and sugarcane plantations are bitter experiences to tell a daughter. (A projector shows on the screen slave workers on a sugar plantation for 2 minutes.) Matter of fact, we tell all and its aftermath in our songs, the spirituals, the sorrowsongs, the blues and the jazz. (She breaks down. She strikes the song, “Will the circle be unbroken?”She hums it gently and briefly, then repeats few of the words). Keisha:

Mom, I am sorry, I've been sitting in ignorance, hungry for things that don’t matter for so long that, I forgot to stand up to the truth. Forgive me.

Barbara:

Its okay, my babe. (Embraces Keisha warmly). You see, the experiences that we Blacks go through in this world have taught us lessons. Understand me when I say that, there is no greater education in life than matriculating through the “University of Hard Knocks.”

Keisha:

Is that right? University of Hard Knocks. Then all Blacks have PhDs before they leave high school. Too many experiences from childhood to adulthood.

Barbara:

Yes. Anyone who has passed through the crucible of suffering will acknowledge that they have found themselves infinitely better equipped for life with their experiences— bitter though it may have been.

Keisha:

Thank you Mom. (Pause) Can you tell me what happened to Africans when they arrived in the Americas?

Barbara:

Keisha, I will tell you, but I want you to see this as food for your soul.

Keisha:

Yes, it will.

Barbara:

Let your spirit take it in so that you may know the truth and the truth set you free.

Keisha:

Yes, it will. (Looks at the mother.) Mom, why turn sober like that?

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Barbara:

It’s nothing, my daughter. (She shakes her head slowly. She turns and raises her eyes towards heaven in a passionate mood.) Lord, I’m standing by my front door, on this cold and cloudy day and ask, will the circle be unbroken? When will this circle ever be broken? Blacks have worked and toiled for the good of the plantation master, but for how long, how long, Lord?

Keisha:

So, that is why we have broken sinks and taps in the house.

Barbara:

The answer is yes. Blacks in this nation are like the dog that caught the game but was made to take comfort with the bones under the master’s table. (Pauses with her voice choked). As if not satisfied, schools for our children, our future generation, are also segregated.

Keisha:

Is that what they call separate but equal.

Barbara:

Yes, it is the separate but equal.

Keisha:

Grandpa mentioned it some time ago; he said they had to march the streets, endure hunger, the rain, the sun, and fight police dogs; in fact, it was a great fight leading to the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling.

Barbara:

Grandpa was right. He was there. It was a fight for our racial dignity. Now, sit quietly and pay attention to what is happening over there. (At this moment, three black men and three black women— John, Brister, Basil, Margaret, Letty, and Lena— are seen in chains, walking down the road, carrying heavy loads. A white overseer, Lloyd, is seen ordering them around. He has a whip in his hand. The slaves look exhausted. Barbara points to the Black men and women working with the overseer who is harsh on them. The Blacks struggle to walk with their loads. Margaret, one of the Black women, who has a young child at her back stops to take care of her wailing child. Her load falls off to the ground. Lena, who is also pregnant but also carrying a heavy load, puts the load down to help Margaret).

Lloyd:

Lena, stop helping her. Take your load and move on. (Angrily) Do you hear me, Lena? I say take your load and move on.

Lena:

Master, the baby needs food and she too is tired.

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Lloyd:

Lena, I say stop helping her and move on. (Now harsher than before) Now, woman, stand up. Stand up. (He kicks hard at Lena and lashes at Margaret for stopping to take care of her child. The overseer lashes her again).

Brister:

Master, please (He and rest of the slaves come to rescue the two women).

Lloyd:

(Struggling to free himself from Brister.) You had better leave me to deal with these worthless women.

Brister:

Did you say worthless? Master, aren’t you a Christian? My former master, Mr. John Stanly doesn’t treat us this way.

Lloyd:

Boy, I am not John Stanly and this is not John Stanly’s plantation. (He drags Margaret to her feet. Margaret looks sternly at Lloyd). If you stop again, I will kill you. (Becoming tense) Do you hear that? I will kill you.

John:

But, Master, she did no wrong. Margaret only wanted to care for your own son.

Lloyd:

(Tensed up) Boy, what did you say? (Silence) Boy, I said, what did you say? (The overseer grabs John by his dress, starts to shake him up).

Brister:

Master, no, no, no, he did not mean it. He is your boy, sir. Have pity on him, sir.

Margaret:

(Margaret strikes the tune “Oh Freedom”. She sings only the first verse with tears in her eyes. In the process, she grabs her baby as if to kill her. With tears running from her eyes, she holds tight her fist on the baby. She cries and asks rhetorically.) Why all these suffering of blacks? (The other black men and women join her in pantomiming their plight. Softly, the rest of the blacks hum gently the song, “Oh Freedom.”She continues to choke up the child).

John:

Margaret, don’t do that. You have the inner strength to survive. The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

Margaret:

I know that, but you'll notice that a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck. Today, I have decided to say NO and die happier.

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Lloyd:

(Soberly.) Woman, what are you doing? Give me that baby… .Do you hear me (very authoritatively). I say, give me that baby. (Shouting) Do you hear me? (Margaret refuses.)

Lena:

Margaret, don’t do that.

Lloyd:

(Soberly.) Woman, give me that baby… .

Lena:

No, she will not. You cannot have that baby, Master… (Lena and Letty go to Margaret’s aid to prevent the Lloyd from getting to Margaret.)

Margaret:

I will never hand you this child, alive. We have had enough, enough of this act of brutality, enough of wearing the name of our master. Do you want to take this child into slavery too? Do you want to put the muzzle over his mouth also? And for no crime you hang him on your cross? No. Master, no. Not again. (The other workers in pantomime plead with the woman not to kill the child).

Lena:

(Lena turns to Margaret but she feels some pain in her abdomen and collapses on the ground.)

Lloyd:

Lena, stop her. (Lena could not stand up. Letty goes to Lena’s aid.)

Margaret:

I have walked thousand miles with this pain of slavery, I have served you my whole life with sorrow and tears of servitude on this plantation and never said a word, today, I chose to say the word, NO and die.

Lloyd:

(Threatening her now). Give me that child before I change my mind on you. The chariot is ready to take that baby away to a good plantation and you can visit her when you want. Give her to me.

Margaret:

I say, NO! Not again. (Shouts) This child, is my flesh and blood, and I will not live to see her generation go down into slavery the way I did. Never. Never, never, never again. (She swings the baby till the baby dies in her hand. The overseer asks Brister to help arrest her.)

Lloyd:

(Shouting) What? You… .. (pointing to Brister)

Brister:

Yes… … Master, I am Brister Warrick. What do you want me to do?

Lloyd:

Arrest her… ..Brister, I say arrest her. Tomorrow, we will take her with the others to Joseph Bruin’s Slave Jail in Alexandria, Virginia.

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Brister:

Yes sir, master. (Brister arrests Margaret. He begins to bind her with a rope. Other slaves in a pantomime try to stop Brister from binding her but Lloyd is on them shouting).

Lena:

(From afar and looking sad). Master, don’t let the color of your skin blind you.

Lloyd:

Woman, what did you say? What did you say? Watch your tongue… .I say, watch your tongue.

Letty:

She is right, don’t let our tears fool you to believe we suffer. God washes the eyes by tears until they can behold the invisible land where tears shall come no more.

Lloyd:

(Sarcastic) Which God are you talking about? If God is merciful like me, who gives you food and clothing?

Lena:

Master, do talk about God like that. He give me my daily bread

Lloyd:

If God is all-powerful than the law of this country why does He not come here and speak to me or take me to court? (He laughs and the Blacks look on surprised. Margaret is bound and taken away. The overseer exit).

Letty:

My people, long as the Lord lives, we shall overcome someday.

John:

Amen to that.

Basil:

Woman, where did you say you came from?

Letty:

I am from Piscataway, Prince George's County, Maryland. Brothers and sisters, I say onto you, pray when you’re happy; and pray when in sorrow. We, by our sufferings, learn to prize our bliss. In fact, suffering provides us with a sharper vision of life’s priorities. Therefore, let’s make our prayers stronger in this time of suffering.

John:

Surely, in agony did the good Lord pray earnestly and his sweat became, as it were, great drops of blood falling down upon the ground.

Letty:

That surely is Luke 22:44.

John:

It surely is… .

Basil:

Amen to that. The sun is going down, let’s get to our cabins.

John:

And don’t forget, tonight is our meeting day. Master thinks we slaves are happy here, because we laugh and act merry.

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Letty:

Brother John, you know we aren’t happy here. We surely will be there.

Basil:

John, why do you stop short, looking onto the ground like that?

John:

I remember something. I myself and three or four others have received two hundred lashes in the day, and had our feet in fetters; yet, at night, we would sing and dance and make others laugh at the rattling of our chains. Happy men we must have been.

Lena:

We surely are, my brother. We know how to wear a mask.

John:

Ehemm. We did it to keep down trouble, and to keep our hearts from being completely broken, that is as true as the Gospel. You think we are happy? Master says my name is John Little, and I laugh. John Little? What is in that name? Tonight, we shall light the skies with fire. (He and the rest of slaves walk off the stage swearing to carry out the revolt at night.).

Keisha:

Mama, why did she kill the innocent child?

Barbara:

It is not easy to talk of slavery without mentioning the rape and the pain that the women went through. (Pause). She did not kill the child but gave her soul freedom, for it is in dying that we are born into eternal life. (Two blacks, a man and woman, return onto the stage and engage in some work.) Do you see that black man in the dusty blue-dress working over there?

Keisha:

Yes, Mom.

Barbara:

That small piece of blue-dress is his only lot and property in life. He has worked all his life to build a home for himself but anytime he completes the house, it is burned down by the master. (As she speaks to her daughter, Lena comes in with John, Brister and Letty. They engage themselves in cleaning their working tools. Later, Harriet Tubman enters holding a gun in her hand. She walks sinisterly towards the black men and women). Do you see that woman with the gun. She is Harriet Tubman, the Moses of African Americans.

Brister:

(He hears some noise) Who is over there? (Louder) Who is over there?

Tubman:

(She emerges from her hideout) I’m Harriet Tubman.

Brister:

Harry who?

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Tubman:

Harriet Tubman. I am one of you, born into slavery.

Letty:

Why holding that gun… .for what?

Tubman:

I’m a runaway slave, who followed the North Star, to take me from the South. Now I am here to save my fellow blacks. I am not scared of the dark.

Lena:

You are not scarred of the dark?

John:

We heard of you long ago. What do you want? Please, go away and don’t bring trouble to our peaceful plantation.

Tubman:

Don’t think of me that way. Boy, I am a brave woman.

Letty:

Brave woman from where? You are kidding me.

Tubman:

I have been through this way many times and took with me slaves to escape to Freedom. I am here to take you also into freedom.

Brister:

If you have been into freedom, why are you here? Please we need no more trouble.

Tubman:

I have taken nineteen trips to the south and not one disaster. So, today, I'm going to ask you to stand with me.

Letty:

Do you know there are posters everywhere for your arrest?

Tubman:

I know there is a reward for my capture, forty thousand dollars. Despite the posters I slipped through the cracks of that Fugitive Slave Act, making many like you, free. And surely, I never lost my way back for more.

Letty:

I think there is sense in what she is saying. I will follow her. (She hurries packing her things as she speaks).

Tubman:

Good girl, come here. (Takes Letty by the hand and leads her away from the others.) Follow that track. If you hear the dogs, keep going. If you see the torches in the woods, keep going. If there’s shouting after you, keep going. Don’t ever stop. Keep going. If you surely want a taste of freedom, keep going. (Exit Letty)

Brister:

I am not going anywhere. Do you think, sneaking up through the south towards freedom in the north is an easy task. By the way, haven’t you heard that Abraham Lincoln has declared our freedom? As a matter of fact, I am going to call the master.

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Tubman:

Stop it. I say stop before I lose my temper on you. I came to save but not to destroy my own people. But in this case, there is no choice left for me, I only have two options, to die or be free to save others. (Tubman jumps on him, overpowers him and ties him and run away with the Black woman.). Soon after, she flees, Brister continuous to shout for help. Douglass comes in. and Brister calls to him).

Brister:

Help me. Please come quick and release me.

Douglass:

(Bends down to untie him). What happened to you.

Brister:

Some woman came here when we were preparing to go for the celebration of Juneteenth. She said, we have been trapped in the tyranny of enslavement just like our grandfathers and she had come to take us into freedom in the north.

Douglass:

What is her name?

Brister:

I don’t know. (Enters Basil with a sack full of cotton). Basil, why are you

late in coming? Basil: Late in coming for what? Brister:

I called you all to rescue me from the hands of the woman.

Basil:

Which woman?

Douglass:

Did she tell you somehing about herself?

Brister:

She said, she is a brave woman who has been through this way many Times.

Douglass:

Is that all?

Brister:

Is she the one who said, she took slaves to escape to freedom?

Douglass:

Ooh yes. Harriet Tubman, the Moses of our race.

Basil:

I heard of her many times.

Brister:

So, she is real. A Moses that can lead us to freedom. And who are you?

Douglass:

My name is Frederick Douglass.

Brister:

Ooh Douglass, the Abolitionist, I heard that name before.

Basil:

I heard it too. You are an assistant to President Abraham Lincoln. Ooh, are you also going to the parade of 4 th July? (Basil calls out to other blacks to come. Lena and Letty enter). Folks, come and lets follow Frederick

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Douglass to the celebration of 4th July. (People from all angles arrive slowly). Lena:

If you are Douglass, the Abolitionist, why do you fear to break through the walls of prejudice against us and your struggles against slavery and racism are visible in a vacuum of society?

Letty:

Can we allow him to talk?

Basil:

We need to ask questions even about our manhood. He uses his manhood to attain his freedom and gain literacy. What about us? I have no manhood. My manhood is gone somewhere.

Letty:

Tell us more about 4 th July.

Douglass:

(Rising slowly.) My fellow men and women, pardon me, what have we Black people got to do with 4th July? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to we Black people? I say it with a sad sense of disparity that we Black people are not included within the pale of that glorious anniversary.

Letty:

True, Black people are not included.

Douglass:

The blessings of this day, and for which you want to go and rejoice are not enjoyed in common with we black people. The rich inheritance of justice, liberty, prosperity, and independence are not shared by we Black people. The sunlight that brought light and healing to this land has brought stripes and death to we Black people.

Lena:

I knew it. I knew it. Talk my brother, talk.

Douglass:

This Fourth of July when people rejoice, we Black people mourn. What benefit is there for us when we are dragged in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and called upon to join in joyous anthems of 4th July? It is an inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.

Brister:

I have seen the light. You are right. I can’t vote, I can’t have all that those people have.

Basil:

Master says, I can’t marry, I can’t have a family, I can’t have my own children. He said I couldn’t learn English. What kind of life is this?

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People, we need to do something about this, here and now. Douglass:

Please, gather your souls and tell it all, tell it over the mountains and hills, that by the rivers of Mississippi, where we sat, there we wept when we remembered Africa.

Basil:

Yes Africa, our Africa.

Douglass:

Here we are, by the river Mississippi, where we have hanged our Kora, the gourd-shakers and the talking drums upon the willows in the midst of our tears.

Lena:

Midst of our tears, I hear you brother…

Douglass:

Mockingly, they that carried us away into captivity, required of us a song about Africa; and they who wasted us required of us rhythms of our trombones, saying, sing us one of the songs and beat your tom-toms of Africa. How can we sing Africa’s love songs in a strange land?

Letty:

How can they? How can they do that to us…

Douglass:

(Prayerfully) If I forget thee, O Ethiopia, let my right hand fail me, if I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. My brothers and sisters, come with me. We need to have a meeting right now. (He takes Basil by the hand whiles the rest follow him to the exit. Soon as they exit, a young man enters playing a jumbe. He plays for a second then a young woman rushes in).

Sarah:

Have you heard the news? The government has segregated our neighborhoods.

Willie:

Segregating our schools just as they did to our cities?

Sarah:

Yes. The people of Mississippi embraced it and so is Wilmington. In fact, the whole states of Delaware, and Washington have embraced it.

Willie:

Sarah, are you telling the truth?

Sarah:

The whole United States of America where we are all supposed to be created equal. The new law of the land says, we can be separate but equal.

Willie:

But I see many separates but not much equals. I know that ain't going to work.

Sarah:

Martin Luther King Jr., Charles K. Steele, and Fred L. Shuttlesworth are

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saying that we’ve got some fighting chance we all will march to Washington tomorrow. Willie:

Tomorrow? Why are we marching to Washington?

Sarah:

Did you ask, why and for what are we going to do? We’ll gonna walk out of our homes onto the street and head to Washington. Do you hear me? We’ll gonna walk with our heads high like a giraffe and talk to the president boldly like a gazelle.

Willie:

Going to walk?

Sarah:

We're walking out in a strike, yes, I said strike, and we won't come back until we get our freedom. (As they speak, more Black people join them. Then, King enters dressed in a suit. Everyone calms down as Willie calls them to order).

Willie:

Quiet my people. I say quiet people. We are privileged to have a good man among us. Did you hear what I said? I said, this is Rev. Dr. King. Let’s hear him. (They settle down.)

Basil:

Who did you say is here?

Lena:

He said Dr. King.

Letty:

King from where?

Willie:

He is a brother; he is a clergyman, born in Atlanta, Georgia.

Basil:

Georgia. That’s a hell of a place.

King:

Thank you. My people, the problems of slavery and its evils have created a lot of tension in our souls. But I'm delighted to see each of you here tonight in spite of a storm warning. My people, something is happening in our world.

Basil:

You’ve got that right.

King:

The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee -- the cry is always the same: "We want to be free."

Lena:

I know it. Brother, I can feel it.

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King:

If something isn't done, and done in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be.

Letty:

Tell us something to do, brother man. It is time to do something.

King:

I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you. He has allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you.

Basil:

Why not? Why won’t you go to the promised land with us?

King:

Although I may not get there with you, I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. I say to you today, my friends, even though we face trials and tribulations today, I still have a dream that tomorrow we will get to the Promised Land. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

Willie:

God bless you brother, your thoughts are my thoughts.

King:

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal ."I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

Basil:

Talk to us brother. Some day, on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. Yes, I believe.

King:

Yes, I have a dream that one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

Sarah:

How can that happen, brother

King:

Sister, by faith. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood.

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Willie:

Jesus said, with faith you can say to Mt. Kilimanjaro, hey move… I say move, and that mountain will move way down into the sea of New York.

Letty:

That will take a lot of nerves, not faith.

Sarah:

He said by faith.

King:

That is it. With faith we will work together, pray together, struggle together, go to jail together,

Basil:

What did you say… that the plantation master can go to jail for me? That one, I don’t believe.

King:

I believe it. Yes it can and will happen some day. I believe that with faith we will stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. (As King concludes his speech, a young black boy, Eldern, comes out of the crowd and embraces King. King asks him to speak to the crowd. He speaks courageously and expresses the desire that he wants to announce his candidacy for the preseidency of America.)

Eldern:

Brother. King, thank you for the honor done me, and for asking me to speak. I too believe that one day, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers to say, “Yes We Can.”

King:

Thank you young man. Thank you for this assurance. Though I may not get to the Promise Land with you, my prayers will be with you.

Sarah:

Don’t say that, Brother. We all will get there.

King:

Yes, we will all get there, but there is the need for me to go ahead of you. I need to go so that I too can add my voice to that of the ancestors who died for our human race.

Willie:

Thank you, Brother King. We’ve got to pray for you.

Eldern:

Ooh yes, we’ve got to pray for him. Effectual fervent prayer is one with power behind it, one that produces results.

King:

Well, I must be going. Thank you for listening to me. God knows each thought we have, so always go to him and talk to him as you would if you were to meet a brother or sister on the street.

Willie:

We sure will…

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Eldern:

Thank you, Brother King for your struggles and ideas, they will guide our steps and practices on the journey. (King exit with Brister.) Brothers and sisters, until the antelope has its own storyteller, the hunter will always have the best part of the story. Let us come together, unite and change the destiny of the nation.

Sarah:

We’ve got to come together before we can fight for ur rights.

Lena:

Me thinks there is sense in what brother here is saying. We’ve got to unite and make all good. If the owner of a calabash calls it worthless, then others will join him to call the calabash rubbish.

Willie:

Can someone get me the Bible? I need to find the verse, “If the owner of the calabash… … ”

Letty:

Uncle Willie, that is not from the Bible, it is an African proverb.

Willie:

Ooh, it is the African stuff again. (As they continue to talk, Brister rushes in with tears and blood on him. He is wailing.)

Lena:

What is it, Brister? What is it?

Brister:

Brothers, sisters, save me. Help me, help me..They have shot our brother

Letty:

They’ve shot ho?

Brister:

King has been shot in cold blood.

Eldern:

King?

Sarah:

How? Where? (There is pandemonium.)

Willie:

Are you telling the truth?

Eldern:

If it were not so, he won’t have told us… .(in a low tone). He said it, he will not get there with us… .

Brister:

Where is the radio? It is in the news. Somebody, turn on the radio. (Willie and Sarah rush to put the radio on. They all listened in panic.)

RADIO:

Good evening, this is the BBC World news. Dr. Martin Luther King, the American black civil rights leader, has been assassinated. (Some people are yelling while others cry aloud. Others are seen calming down the rest of the crowd) Dr King was shot dead in the southern US city of Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a march of sanitation workers protesting against low wages and poor working conditions. He was shot in the neck

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as he stood on a hotel balcony and died in hospital soon afterwards. (There is much noise and confusion). Letty:

Quiet everybody.

Brister:

Can we have some quiet here. We need to hear all.

RADIO:

The Police in Memphis were put on alert for a "well-dressed" white man who is said to have dropped an automatic rifle after the shooting and escaped in a blue car. (There is anger in everyone’s face and voice).

Basil:

What? A white man killed our brother? I told you all. I said it right here the other day, how can the little black boy and black girl join hands with the little white boy and white girl and call each other sisters and brothers? It won’t happen now or forever, and not in my lifetime.

Eldern:

Please, lets hold our peace till we find out he truth. Death is not the greatest loss in life, the greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.

Letty:

Is that an African proverb or what?

Basil:

Woman, before you open your mouth think of our safety in this country.

Brister:

You are right. We must start to arm ourselves. Let us fight now or never.

Willie:

Let us form black brigades to defend us and our families. We have to take on arms…

Basil:

This is racism. The brother was killed just because he is black. (Restless). Something must be done.

Eldern:

(Cool and collected.) Brothers and sisters, this is a trying moment. When the cock is drunk, he forgets about the hawk; we should not be a cock. Instead, we should find a medicine that can cure hatred in this nation.

Brister:

We have to find that medicine before we blacks are wiped out.

Eldern:

In the fist place, let us give thanks to God for the quality of service and leadership that King has given us. He has shown that each of us has a part to play in our society. He has shown us that, greatness is not in the maker of big plans and oversize promises; rather, it is the one who offers faithful service in small matters that we need for the good of our community.

Brister:

Sure, that is the person who can change our dreams into careers, our adversities into adventure, our step-outs into step-ups,

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Willie:

Young man, are you a communist? You always talk of the masses, the community, the society. I know Jesus, he gave food to hungry masses, and preached to a multitude…

Sarah:

Don’t say that, Willie

Letty:

Can we have a little peace of mind? What is wrong with you all?

Eldern:

My brothers and sisters please, lend me your ears and hearts. Injustice anywhere is inevitably a threat to justice everywhere. Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.

Letty:

My grandfather told me of it.

Eldern:

I am glad you heard it from your grandfather. The document of democracy they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery, a question that divided the colonies and brought the convention to a stalemate until the founders chose to allow the slave trade to continue for at least twenty more years, and to leave any final resolution to future generations.

Sarah:

Leave the final resolution of what is democracy to the future generation?

Eldern:

Yes, you are right. It is over two-hundred and twenty one years since a band of patriots signed that document in Philadelphia and that is where the perfection begins and we, today, will need to perfect what they begun now.

Willie:

That speech is undeniably true and honestly spoken in the calm and clear voice of a reasonable man explaining America’s most unreasonable and hateful topic.

Letty:

As he spoke, I saw him as the next president of the United States and hope you all share the same feeling with me. (The all respond in affirmation).

Basil:

We are the future generation and so it is the time to finish it… …

Eldern:

(Solemnly.) Brothers and sisters, these are hard times. Not too long ago, King told us, he may not get to the Promised Land with us.

Willie:

I heard it, he said it.

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Eldern:

On this solemn day, in this historic moment, and strengthened by the power in King’s words, I want to announce my candidacy for the White House. It is time to make the dream a reality, a time to bring change into our world. A change that will usher in great transformation, new hope and liberty for all.

Basil:

Boy, what do you say? You want to be the president of America? How old are you? Do you know what you are talking about? You must be out of your mind.

Lena:

Allow the young man to stand up for his right. We need a black president, a black key to the White House, this time. We need a change in our society, a change in our economy. And we can do it now.

John:

Boy, where do you come from? Are you married? Are you a Christian?

Basil:

(Gentle laugh.) Black president in America.

Letty:

What kind of questions are these? He is a brother, don’t you see?

John:

Allow me to ask questions. We don’t know his mother, his father, who he hangs out with or whether he is straight or crocket. I need to be sure before I give him my vote.

Basil:

Sure, we need to ask questions. Else, before you know we have made an Uncle Tom the king. Are you an African American? Was or is your father’s father brought from Africa as a slave? That’s what I’m talking about.

Eldern:

Your questions are valid so, let me answer them one by one..

John:

Before you answer the first question, tell me this… …

Letty:

For God’s sake, let’s give him a chance. Don’t we need a change?

Eldern:

You are right, my sister. We need a change. After decades of broken politics in Washington, eight years of failed policies from the White House, and twenty-one months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California, we are two days away from change in America.

Brister:

Young man, I have been sitting here for a long time, listening to you. Can I ask you just one question?

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Sarah:

What kind of question do you have?

Brister:

Mine is a simple question. Our traditional African-American family system has been the African extended family system, composed of husband and wife, their children, cousins, nieces and the rest.

Willie:

That’s true, it includes grandparents, aunts and uncles and all.

Brister:

That’s right. In those days, divorce was rare and couples stayed together till the death of a spouse. Children lived with their parents until maturity, then started their own families. Now, it is different. Are you going to help us change this?

Eldern:

In two days, you can change that, make us speak of our family values and turn the page on policies that have put the greed and irresponsibility of Wall Street before the hard work and sacrifice of folks on Main Street. In two days, you can choose policies that invest in our family values, in our middle-class, create new jobs, and grow this economy so that everyone has a chance to succeed.

Letty:

Young man, thank you for standing up. Black people have been chasing their dreams for far too long. It is time to make it real and take it for real.

Willie:

That is my man. Yes, we can do it and we have to do it now.

Lena:

The time is now. Willie, can you get us the ballot boxes, we need to vote. For the first time in my life, I’m gonna vote and vote with all my soul. (Willie goes out and soon returns with the boxes and papers. He distributes the papers, and people start to write on them. Sarah strikes a favorite tune “No more auction block for me”).

Basil:

I never believed I would ever vote in my life. This is history.

Sarah:

Willie, here is my vote. As I vote today, I am voting for my father, my mother, and all my ancestors, who died in their fight to express their right to vote. (Each person places their ballot papers in the box. Sarah and Willie go out to count)

Lena:

My brother, you have promised us great economic progress. Should I look at it as one of those Halloween dresses?

Eldern:

(With a gentle smile and laugh) I know that's one costume that American

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people aren't going to buy. The economic crisis we face today is the worst since the Great Depression. And that is why I am running for president. (Sarah and Willie return with the result of the votes). Willie:

It is with joy that I announce that our brother has won the elections against the mavericks. (People shout in surprise loudly. The president-elect comes forward to address the gathering. There is dead silence).

Eldern:

Thank you. The American people have spoken. If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

Basil:

We have spoken.

Lena:

(Shaking in surprise) I never thought I would live to see this with my own eyes. I never thought of it… .

Letty:

Me too. Now, the sun has risen and I’m out of this Mississippi River Valley, the "Congo of America.”

Basil:

We won’t tell no lies; we did not claim this with easy victories.

Eldern:

America, this is our time - to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth - that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America. (Willie sounds his jumbe and they carry the President elect off stage. In the midst of the celebration, Keisha and her mother emerge).

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Barbara:

(Holding her hands with smiles.) And so my daughter, this is the African American’s journey, from shackles of oppression to mantles of hope. We have traveled a long way, we have fought the good fight with patience, dedication, perseverance and fortitude, and in the midst of persecutions we have remained calm, wearing masks to hide the face of our despair and misery.

Keisha:

Mom, I can see it was not an easy journey. Everyone kept the dream alive so that, it did not fester like a sore, or sag like a raisin in the sun. Mom, why is this story not told in our schools nor written in our textbooks?

Barbara:

I can hardly find an answer to your question. (Sullen). There is always a problem with the contents of textbooks everywhere in the world because, the story that the hunter tells is always different from the story that the antelope will tell. But from now on a new textbook will be written. A new chapter will emerge in the history books.

Keisha:

I want to be part of that new chapter in our history books. I want to write it too.

Barbara:

You can be part of it. Nothing can stop you now. The sky is even not the limit anymore.

Keisha:

Thank you Mom for the encouragement and support.

Barbara:

No, do not thank me. Remember, our ancestors always say, the success of the youth must be met with the experiences of the elders. (She strikes a tune “We Walk With The Wind.”She sings passionately the first verse: We marched from Selma to Birmingham With our prayers rising up as one Black and White joining hand and hand Singing, "We shall overcome"

(The daughter, Keisha joins in singing the second verse until it fades.) We marched to the Edmund Pettus Bridge The road ahead of us was blocked Dogs and clubs, hoses, gas, and guns But we could not be stopped (Barbara and the daughter, Keisha join hands to sing this last verse with tears)

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The wind of freedom is blowing Feeling like a new found friend Yes, we're going to make the journey 'Cause we walk with the wind Walk with the wind Barbara:

This is your time and chance. This is your time to make change, to brighten this corner of history. You all have a part to play.

Keisha:

You are right, we the new generation have a part to play in remaking and preserving our history.

Barbara:

A new generation that includes all of us. No more me, myself and I.

Keisha:

Yes, no more me myself and I. It is we, us and us. We must make the best of it before time denies us our right to it.

Barbara:

That is true. Great endowments often announce themselves in the spirit of youths. In this change, we should not allow dogs to fight dogs so that blood will breed blood and vultures come to take the spoil. We should not allow hatred to tear us apart. Instead, we should show ourselves to be above animals.

Keisha:

Mom, you are deep. Are we joining the festivities?

Barbara:

Yes, my daughter. Let’s hurry and join in the train for the celebration. No need for new clothes nor shining shoes, or gleaming jewelries. Let everything that has breath inside us sing the new song of unity in diversity. Keisha, let’s get ready for tomorrow. Let’s get ready for the festivities.

Keisha:

But, Mom, does it mean that with a Black President, Blacks have got their freedom from racism, poverty, and social degradation?

Barbara:

My daughter, the answer is NO. The real battle has just begun. The structures that once propped up racism and slavery may not be obvious, but they still exist as invisible walls. Hurry up and let go.

Keisha:

(Holds onto the mother.) Mom, before we go, let me ask you this. (Pause)

Barbara:

(Gently smiling.) What is it this time?

Keisha:

What is the meaning of my name, Keisha? Is it an European name or an African name?

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Barbara:

(Laughs gently) In fact, a name isn’t just for a birthday, it is your identity, it spells the philosophy of the community; a name should embody the hopes and aspiration of who you are and your parents’dreams for you. Anything short of that makes your name a label, a brand-name or a trademark. (Keisha reacts badly. Mother pauses for a while) Your name Keisha is the short form of Lakeisha, an African Swahili name meaning "alive and well.” I gave it to you when you were born because, we, black people, no matter what we go through, we always stay strong, ‘alive and well’.(Keisha jumps and clings to the mother with joy and they rush out to pack for the celebration. As they go out, one could hear in the background the song, “We Walk With The Wind”).

THE END

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LYRICS OF SONGS USED Will the Circle be Unbroken? I was standing by my window On a cold and cloudy day When I saw the hearse come rollin For to take my mother away. Will the circle be unbroken? By and by lord, by and by, There's a better home a-waitin In the sky lord, in the sky. I told the undertaker: Undertaker, please drive slow, For this body you are haulin Lord, I hate to see her go. Will the circle be unbroken? By and by lord, by and by, Theres a better home a-waitin In the sky lord, in the sky. Well I followed close behind her, Tried to hold up and be brave, But I could not hide my sorrow When they laid her in the grave Will the circle be unbroken? By and by lord, by and by, Theres a better home a-waitin In the sky lord, in the sky. I went back home, my home was lonesome, Missed my mother she was gone. All my brothers and sisters crying In our home so sad and alone. Will the circle be unbroken? By and by lord, by and by, Theres a better home a-waitin In the sky lord, in the sky. We sang the songs of childhood, Hymns of faith that made us strong, Ones that our mother had taught us, Hear the angels sing along

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Will the circle be unbroken? By and by lord, by and by, Theres a better home a-waitin In the sky lord, in the sky.

Oh Freedom Oh freedom Oh freedom Oh freedom over me! And before I’d be a slave I’ll be buried in my grave And go home to my Lord and be free. No more moaning No more moaning No more moaning over me! And before… There’ll be singing… There’ll be shouting… There’ll be praying Ride In, Kind Savior.

Ride in, kind Savior No man can hinder me. O, Jesus is a mighty man No man, &c. We 're marching through Virgin fields. No man, &c. O, Satan is a busy man, No Man, &c. And he has his sword and shield, No man, &c. O, old Secesh done come and gone ! No man can hinder me. No more auction block for me No more auction block for me No more, no more No more auction block for me Many thousand gone No more peck of corn for me… No more driver’s lash for me… No more pint of salt for me…

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No more hundred lash for me… No more mistress’call for me… We Walk With The Wind We marched from Selma to Birmingham With our prayers rising up as one Black and White joining hand and hand Singing, "We shall overcome" We marched to the Edmund Pettus Bridge The road ahead of us was blocked Dogs and clubs, hoses, gas, and guns But we could not be stopped The wind of freedom is blowing Feeling like a new found friend Yes, we're going to make the journey 'Cause we walk with the wind Walk with the wind We walked all the way to Washington Rising up as a mighty throng We all felt the power of the dream To right so many wrongs The wind of freedom is blowing Feeling like a new found friend Yeah, we're going to make the journey 'Cause we walk with the wind The wind will blow across America From sea to shining sea The wind will blow across America 'Til everyone is free The wind of freedom is blowing Feeling like a new found friend Yes, we're going to make the journey 'Cause we walk with the wind 'Cause we walk with the wind Inspired by: John Lewis Performed by: Lillye Berry Music by: Garrick Alden Lyrics by: Rick Bowers and Frank Barry

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