1619: The Journey of a People

Celebrate Black History Month with this dynamic theatrical experience featuring playwright, professor, and performer Ted Williams III.

On August 20, 1619, twenty enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. The 400-year journey that followed would change a nation and the world. This one-man show packs generations of history into an hourlong performance that commemorates the struggles, recognizes the heroes, and critically analyzes the American journey towards freedom and equality. From the beginning of American slavery to Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Civil Rights Era, and modern movements for justice, Williams uses history to explain America’s current reality.

This program was made possible by support from Illinois Humanities. Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom and the Illinois General Assembly (through the Illinois Arts Council Agency), as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.