Last summer, Freedom Train productions put on an amazing series of plays-in-progress in Brooklyn featuring Black LGBT characters. Recently, the same group gathered at CUNY to discuss the significance of Black LGBT characters’ visibility in the theater. With the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies at CUNY Graduate Center (CLAGS) and All Out Arts, Freedom Train Productions gathered some of today’s exciting playwrights and theatre producers to answer the question: who needs a Black Queer Hero? Washington Square News reported on the event:

Playwright Aurin Squire said that the presence of black LGBT protagonists in his work was no coincidence. "It’s a personal story, and I’m a black LGBT protagonist," Squire said, speaking about his latest play. Producer Bryan E. Glover echoed these sentiments when asked why he worked so hard to portray black LGBT characters on the stage. "I am determined to do it because I’m interested in seeing my story," Glover said.

Whether it is writing a play to tell your experience, recording the testimony of an immigrant mother deported away from her children, or simply collecting your family’s history, there are real people affected by inequitable policies. In our struggle for racial justice, it is important to remember the value of the personal story.