Events
In the Gallery with National Black Theatre
Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 6:00 PM
Hemispheric Institute
20 Cooper Square, First Floor Gallery Space
About
About
Join us for a conversation with Jonathan McCrory, Executive Artistic Director of National Black Theatre, and Abisola Faison, a member of NBT’s original company, who will reflect on Me and My Song (1969). They will also address the preservation of NBT’s legacy, the power of Black theater, and the importance of collective memory.
Me and My Song is a tribute to the poets who shaped the Harlem Renaissance. The film, created by National Black Theatre, aired as part of “Black Heritage: A History of Afro-Americans,” a 1969 educational film and television series produced by WCBS and Columbia University. It celebrates Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Sterling Brown, Jean Toomer, Franke Horne, William Waring Cuney, and Arna Bontemps. Their poetry expressed a new social posture and attitude towards segregation, discrimination, and racism. This film demonstrates Dr. Barbara Ann Teer’s “choreopoem” performance genre.
National Black Theatre (NBT) was founded in 1968 in the heart of Harlem by the late Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, an award-winning visionary artist and entrepreneur. NBT is among the oldest Black Theaters in the country and among the longest owned and operated by a woman of color. NBT’s core mission is to produce transformational theatrical experiences that enhance African American cultural identity by telling authentic stories of the Black experience. Since its founding, it has produced over 300 original theatre works that have toured the United States and the world. NBT was the Arts Institution in Residence at the Hemispheric Institute during Fall 2025.
20 Cooper Square, First Floor Gallery
New York, NY 10003
This event will be in English.
This is an in-person event that requires registration. All non-NYU attendees must RSVP in advance. Video documentation will be made available on the Institute website following the event.
Mobility Access
The main entrance to the Hemispheric Institute at 20 Cooper Square is wheelchair accessible and there is elevator service to our space on the 5th floor.
Nearby ADA accessible transit stations include: B, C, D, and F at Broadway and Lafayette station. Q, N, R, W, 4, 5, and 6 trains at 14th Street station.
Accessible Programming
All of our virtual and pre-recorded programming are equipped with automated closed-captioning.
Accessibility Inquiries
If you have additional accessibility needs, please message us, and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
Restrooms
The Hemispheric Institute at 20 Cooper Square offers ADA accessible and gender neutral restrooms with changing tables.