From the freedom songs that sustained enslaved people to the hip-hop anthems that call for justice today, Black communities have long turned to stories and music as vessels of survival, resistance, and liberation. Theatrical performance, oral storytelling, and song have not only preserved memory but have also mobilized movements, shaped collective identity, and inspired visions of freedom. This panel explores how narrative and music function as radical tools for Black liberation—both historically and today. Panelists will discuss traditions that stretch from early narratives of resilience and freedom songs to contemporary theater, spoken word, and community-based performance. We’ll examine how these artistic practices resist erasure, affirm dignity, and galvanize social change, while also celebrating joy, resilience, and imagination.

Together, we’ll ask: How do stories and songs carry knowledge across generations? How does art hold space for healing while challenging systems of oppression? And how can today’s artists, scholars, and cultural leaders continue to amplify Black voices as catalysts for liberation?

The Point speaker series is created in partnership with GBH’s Forum Network.