Home / Arts and Entertainment / Douglass's Voice Echoes in NYC Arts Show
Douglass's Voice Echoes in NYC Arts Show
11 Jun
Summary
- A new show at the Irish Arts Center merges Douglass's speeches with student performances.
- The performance, 'North Star,' premiered in Belfast in 2024.
- The show explores themes of home, identity, and resilience through art.
A new music and spoken word performance, "North Star," at the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan brings the words of Frederick Douglass to life. Created and directed by Kwame Daniels, the 70-minute show, which premiered in Belfast in 2024, blends Douglass's reflections on his time in Britain and Ireland with performances by local students.
Young performers share poems and reflections on what 'home' means to them, interwoven with a live soundtrack of hip-hop, rap, funk, and gospel. The show aims to foster empathy by bringing audiences closer to Black culture and experiences, drawing parallels between historical struggles and contemporary issues.
Daniels, who moved to Belfast in 1997, was inspired to create "North Star" partly by anti-immigration riots in Britain in 2024, which fractured his own sense of home. The production highlights themes of Black struggle, resilience, and the importance of allies, echoing the support the Irish offered Douglass.
Douglass, who escaped slavery in Maryland and published his first memoir in 1845, embarked on a lecture tour of Britain and Ireland fearing recapture. His writings, including three autobiographies, detailed his experiences and beliefs. He died in 1895, and a statue in his honor was unveiled in Belfast in 2023.
