The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans
Overview
“The Ongoing Fight for Freedom: Stories of NC Black Veterans” is a one-man presentation & performance elevating Black freedom fighters and veterans with North Carolina connections – known & unknown, on and off the traditional battlefield – who have engaged in over 400 years of a struggle for freedom, liberty, and equality. Their sacrifices, resistance, and resilience have contributed to American democracy, even as they were denied the full rights of citizens. Through listening to their stories in this production, we can gain a deeper understanding of our nation’s founding ideals, and harness the hope to continue the work, together, of making those ideals a reality for all.
The show was written and is performed by Dr. Sonny Kelly, founder of Legacy Heirs Productions. The play’s development was commissioned & funded by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources’ America 250 initiative & produced by Carolina K-12 at Carolina Public Humanities, UNC-Chapel Hill.
The show is approximately 70-minutes long. This presentation includes archival images, sounds & video depicting and referencing scenes of battle, war, the Jim Crow era, and racism. Suicide is briefly mentioned.
K-12 Curricular Resources
A Parallel Struggle for Freedom: Black People During the American Revolution
Shining a Light on Untold History: North Carolina’s Black Revolutionary War Soldiers
“Stealing a Little Freedom”: Enslaved Runaways in North Carolina
Freedom Seeking Across North Carolina
What to the American Slave is the Fourth of July?
Fighting for Freedom: Black Contributions to the Civil War
Booker T. Spicely & the Dangers WWII Black Veterans Faced in their Fight Against the Jim Crow South
How Should Robert F. Williams Be Remembered?
Exploring African American Leadership & Service in NC
Lessons/Activities for Use at/in conjunction with NC Freedom Park
Upcoming Performances
- February 22, 2024 – NC State Council for the Social Studies Conference, Greensboro | Please note the performance will only be assessable to conference registrants. Go to www.ncsocialstudies.org for registration & conference details.
- April 20, 2024 – Symposium on the Plymouth Massacre of USCT, Plymouth | Open to the public
- May 16, 2024 – Chapel Hill Public Library | Open to the public
- Sept. 19, 2024 – Tryon Palace | Open to the public
Cast
In order of appearance, Dr. Sonny Kelly will introduce each audience to:
- Berry C. Kelly “Pop” (1941 – 2021)
- W.E.B. DuBois (1868 – 1963)
- Freeman (c. 1750)
- Jemmy (unknown – 1739)
- Thomas Peters (c. 1738-1792)
- John Chavis (c. 1763– 1838)
- Isaac Hammond (c. 1755 – 1822)
- Issac Carter/The Harlowe Patriots (c. 1760 – 1811)
- Ned Griffen (unknown – 1842)
- Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895)
- Dempsey Hill (c. 1842-1894)
- William Henry Singleton (1843 – 1938)
- John W. Pratt (unknown)
- Lucy Nichols (1838-1915)
- Abraham Galloway (1837-1870)
- Sgt. Henry Johnson/Harlem Hellfighters (c. 1892 – 1929)
- First Lt. Wilson Vash Eagleson/Tuskegee Airmen (1920 – 2006)
- Elmer Gibson (1903 – 1994)
- Robert F. Williams (1925-1996)
- Sarah Keys Evans (1929 – present)
- Dovey Johnson Roundtree (1914-2018)
- Golden A. Frinks (1920-2004)
- Troy Williams (1955 – present)
- Bennis Blue (1953 – present)
- Phoebe Jeter (1964 – present)
- Bembry King “B” (1978 – present)
Crew
Dr. Sonny Kelly | Writer & Performer: Dr. Sony Kelly is a professional performer, storyteller, motivator, scholar, & founder/principal of Legacy Heirs Productions. Currently a full-time instructor of Communication at Fayetteville Tech, he holds a PhD from UNC-Chapel Hill, as well as degrees from Stanford and St. Mary’s. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and also serves as a youth minister.
Christie Norris | Producer & Director of Carolina K-12
Beth Gardiner | Production Consultant & Event Manager for Carolina Public Humanities
Paul Bonnici | Technical Operations & Special Projects Coordinator for Carolina K-12 & Carolina Public Humanities
Research assistance was provided by the NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, including the State Library of North Carolina, the State Archives, and the NC Musuem of History. While the presentation is based on historical research, including actual events and people who have contributed to North Carolina throughout the last four centuries, artistic liberties have been taken in how characters are presented.
Contact
For inquiries about this performance, bookings, K-12 resources, etc., contact Christie Norris at cnorris@unc.edu.