Wednesday – Friday, February 12-14, 10:00 am & 12:00 pm
Sunjata Kamalenya by The Experiential Theater Company

Performances, Set in 13th-century Mali, this interactive and immersive play recounts the heroic journey of Sunjata Keita, the Lion King of West Africa. Lead actress Naja Selby-Morton plays the role of the storyteller, "Djeli Muso. The cultural adventure and traditional African storytelling, music, and costumes are designed to empower and promote leadership, unity and family themes to children and adults.

Thursday, February 13, 7:30 pm
Black Dance Pioneers with Legacy dance performance featuring: Asase Yaa Youth Ensemble, FIYAA Forces of Nature Incredible Youth Arts Alliance, and Ife Youth Dance Theater

The trio of talented young dance ensembles pay homage to the cultural leaders who have paved the way for African American dance.

Wednesday – Sunday, February 13-16
Voices of Resistance: Spoken Word Series

A collective of poets and spoken word performances of original works will kick off each night with powerful reflections on cultural identity, revolution, and activism inspired by the Festival’s theme, Revolution Requires Resistance.

Wednesday – Sunday, February 13—16
Evolution of Activism: Matisse & District 16 Visual Arts Exhibit

(On view in the theater lobby throughout the Festival) Sponsored by the Matisse Foundation, a collection of visual arts created by commissioned student artists and activists of all genres from District 16 in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn will be on view in the Playhouse Theater lobby area. The artist works will tell stories about how cultural figures and the evolution of activism have used the lens of art to shape and elevate society.

Friday, February 14, 7:30 pm
Tribute to Artists of the Revolution
Featuring Weedie Mailah, globally revered Djembe drummer and Balla Kouyate, Balafon virtuoso

The extraordinary duo of artists Weedie Braimah and Balla Kouyaté will take you on a journey through traditional Djeli music from Mali that sparked West African revolutionary freedom movements, to the soulful voices of African American soul and jazz artists' that fueled activism and unrelenting resistance to racism in the US. They are reuniting on stage for the first time in over a decade.

Saturday, February 15, 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 16, 3:00 pm
Djembe in the New Millennium Featuring the Asase Yaa African American Dance Theater

A dynamic fusion of tradition and innovation. It draws from the rhythms of Guinea, Mali, Senegal, and Brooklyn, blending West African tradition with contemporary expression and chronicles the evolution of African dance in New York City. Following the final Sunday matinee performance, Asase Yaa is hosting a pre-show brunch honoring its Elders in partnership with Abdel Salaam, director of Dance Africa and Forces of Nature at the Experimental Theater at Abrons.