BlackARTSMatter aims to assert the power of the arts in movements towards justice as Black folks.

The engagement, in conjunction with the opening Suzan-Lori Parks' The America Play, will offer a series of panels, public talks, workshops, and play readings centered on Black experiences and the importance of Black epistemologies and aesthetics. The event will gather artists, activists and thinkers, poised to facilitate dialogue between students, faculty and the community themed around: 1) mobilizing theatre communities around Black Lives Matter; and 2) interrogating the potential of theatre's unique contributions to the Black Lives Matter movement. It will consist of a series of staged readings, performances, speakers, workshops and panels to be shaped in collaboration with each contributor around the above themes. 

An array of Black artists, activists and thinkers are invited to come together for this convening to both present their work and strategize new ways of thinking about the integral role of arts in the Black Lives Matter movement.