When We Begin at the End: A response by Aaliyah Christina

Captured by John R. Boehm

What To Send Up When It Goes Down by Aleshea B. Harris

Presented by Congo Square Theatre Company, GRAY, and The Rebuild Foundation

On the West side at Gray Chicago Gallery (2044 W Carroll Ave), March 31-April 16 

On the South side at Rebuild Foundation’s Stony Island Arts Bank (6760 S Stony Island Ave), April 21-May 1

Co-Directed by Ericka Ratcliff and Daniel Bryant

Performed by Ronald L. Conner, Anthony, Jos N Banks, McKenzie Chinn, Victor Missoni, Alexandria Moorman, and Penelope Walker

Other creative team members include Sarah Grace Goldman (Dramaturg), Estrellita Edwell (Production/Tour Manager & Technical Director), Sydney Lynne Thomas (Set & Props Designer), Alexis Chaney (Costume/Wig/Makeup Designer), and Levert "Levi" Wilkins (Lighting Designer).

Find Tickets Here: www.congosquaretheatre.org/whattosendup 

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And they said, “BLACK PEOPLE!”

We said, “YEAH!”

“BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

Then because we are many ways through many beings,

They shouted, “ANGRY BLACK PEOPLE!”

We called back, “YEAH!”

“DARK SKIN BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

“TRANS BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

“LOUD BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

“BOUGIE BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

“HOOD BLACK PEOPLE!”

“YEAH!”

Let us pray, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…”

Captured by John R. Boehm

We were tradition with innovation and we were church without religion and we were laughter with all derision and we were reminiscent without forgiveness and we were sanctuary with irreverence, because we tried to warn y’all. 

Some of us even tried to love y’all, but we ain’t talkin’ to y’all right now…

I’m tired of talkin’ to white people about us

Botham Jean x26

because we ain’t forget as we die before the street lights come on and we wake up when the moon is still up and say grace while the block is still hot.

 Sometimes i forget myself and only remember Y’all. Y’all as in my people.

My people… Oh, how I love you.

Sandra Bland x28

Michael Brown Jr x18

George Floyd x46

Bettie Jones x55

Ring shout… Call & Response… Hamboning… Cypher Circles… Soul Train lines…

That’s the vibe we coming with today,

because these ain’t characters, these are my siblings, 

my brothers, my sisters, my cousins, our Ancestors.

So we remember Them. We remember each other.

Terrence Crutcher x40

Philando Castile x32

Atatiana Jefferson x28

Breonna Taylor x26

Oscar Grant x22

Rekia Boyd x22

Michael Bell Jr x21

Trayvon Martin x17

LaQuan McDonald x17

Tamir Rice x12

Aiyana Stanley-Jones x7

So we scream until our voices run hoarse because there are so many more.

So many more we do not know and cannot say.

And that beckons, demands, and charges the call for Salvation.

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Aaliyah Christina is a co-organizer and content curator for Performance Response Journal2.0.