Black Like Me: An Exploration of the Word N—– is a multidisciplinary work that explores the reverb of a single word in a global community. It considers the effects of the word n—– , all its permutations, its history, and its casual use in Hip Hop culture. In collaboration with two of America’s leading Black media-design technologists and local activists, it asks if it is possible to redefine a word that was intended to belittle a people. Black Like Me combines physical, verbal, visual and sonic language to tell five narratives and perspectives in a unique way.
Jade Solomon Curtis is a dance artist and choreographer who integrates classical and African-American vernacular movements with mixed-media and Hip Hop culture. Through the lens of a contemporary black woman, Curtis’ works ponder tradition and reinvention, social justice, social constructs as well as intuition and logic–often resulting in the subversion of an idea. She is the founder of Solo Magic, a non-profit arts initiative collaborating with innovative artists to create socially relevant performances. She is a 2018 Artist Trust Fellow and a 2017 University of South Carolina Inaugural Visiting Fellow. Curtis was an artist-in-residence at SLIPPAGE Lab at Duke University this March. She is also the subject of an Emmy Award-winning short film, Jade Solomon Curtis, directed by Ralph Bevins.
Some of the content in this performance may not be appropriate for young children.
The presentation of Black Like Me: An Exploration of the Word N—– was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
