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January 2009
Lincoln's Legacy in Harlem
Tuesday, February 17, 2009 7:30 PM
At Harlem Stage
Harlem's radical cultural, political, social and aesthetic transformations since the beginning of the last century have been the subject of ongoing analysis and documentation. But what was the area like when Abraham Lincoln passed through New York City to deliver his famous address at Cooper Union on February 27th, 1860? How did Lincoln's politics shape the area we know as Harlem today?
Lincoln's Legacy in Harlem: A historical look at Harlem and the politics of Abraham Lincoln is the subject of the upcoming "Breaking Ground With Bill T. Jones" with the choreographer leading a discussion by a panel of scholars and historians. Co-presented by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and Harlem Stage, the dialogue takes place on February 17, 7:30pm at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse.
Jones's choice of subject for this fifth "Breaking Ground" discussion is an extension of his current choreographic exploration of Lincoln entitled Fondly Do We Hope...Fervently Do We Pray, a major new work inspired by Lincoln's bicentennial. Among the subjects and questions scheduled for examination during the February 17th discussion are: What was Harlem like in the mid-19th century? How did Lincoln's politics--and the aftermath of his assassination--shape Harlem? And what is Lincoln's relevance in today's social and political climate?
Panelists include Barnet Schecter, historian and author of The Devil's Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America; and Michele Mitchell, Associate Professor of History at New York University and author of Righteous Propagation: African Americans & the Politics of Racial Destiny After Reconstruction.
An actor from the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company will read select documents from the era to contextualize the questions at hand.
The Harlem Stage Gatehouse is located at 150 Convent Avenue (at West 135th Street).
General Tickets: $15
Harlem Residents (walk up only) + HS + BTJAZD Members: $12
Purchase Tickets
-- Marcus Dargan, Thursday, January 29, 2009)
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