A performance that commemorates the journey of enslaved Africans who were brought to Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, will show in DeKalb Thursday Nov. 16.
This will be a condensed version of 1619: The Journey of a People, the Musical. Ted Williams III is a professor of political science in the City Colleges of Chicago and the producer of the musical. He said it’s important to keep this story going.
“This history is American history,” he said. “It's not just African American history, this is the thing that I want people to understand. And all of us are required to make America live up to the ideals that are on the paper, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution.”
Williams created the musical for the 400th anniversary of the 1619 event.
He said he originally planned to do a conference to commemorate the journey, but things took a turn.
“We decided to put together a little musical production," he said. "And we've been touring that around the country and doing different engagements the last four years. And it has been a real treat, and a real honor to be able to tell these stories.”
He said this is a victory story and it shows how African Americans have made a path for millions of people around the world.
The full show with all of the cast members was featured in DeKalb last year.
The one-man show will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the DeKalb Public Library. The program is partly sponsored by Illinois Humanities in partnership with the DeKalb County History Center.
