The Intersection: Woke Black Folk w/ Funmilola Fagbamila

The Intersection: Woke Black Folk w/ Funmilola Fagbamila

The Intersection: Woke Black Folk

There are 3 versions of this theatrical production available at 3 different fees:

  1. The self-contained 70 minute FULL stage production with 5 people including a DJ & Pianist plus Q&A.  You only have to provide the venue and box office.
  2. The self-contained 70 minute FULL stage production with 2 people (without musicians) plus Q&A.  You only have to provide the venue and box office.
  3. Abridged production of a 20 minute performance plus 40 minute Q&A with audience, a post-performance discussion about themes addressed in the production regarding the current Movement for Black Lives along with a stand-alone Workshop on arts activism during her visit.

Called “timely, brilliant and necessary” by Angela Davis and “Baduizm” by Erykah Badu, The Intersection: Woke Black Folk is an internationally acclaimed stage-play on the complexities of Black political identity. This full-stage production portrays the perspectives of four different Black community leaders who have four immensely different perspectives about how to combat anti-black state violence (police violence) and advocate for a more just society. They have vastly different ideas about identity, gender, sexuality, religion, economy, mental health, public safety, and the list goes on. And while they greatly disagree with each other, they will soon find out that they need each other. This is a story about how and why humans, in general, struggle to navigate difference.

Watch the original trailer here (intro to the characters). Footage of the full 70 minute live production is available upon request.

Watch clips from the live production here.

Watch video of audience reaction, international presence and Netflix feature here.

Watch footage from the virtual production here and here.

Why audiences love this:

It is no secret that many people have become leary of what has been referred to as “cancel culture”, while others deny its existence. Understandably so; it is nuanced. There is a delicate balance between holding people accountable for potentially harmful ideals and just straight up censorship. This production dives deeply into controversial narratives, challenging the viewer to reconsider popular truths, and to examine what is deemed problematic vs. socially acceptable. It creates room in what has become a very claustrophobic political landscape. Audience members see themselves in the characters, they see their loved ones and they likely see those whom they deeply disagree with. In the end they are challenged, renewed and deeply moved.

BIO: Funmilola Fagbamila (Pronunciation: Foo-mee-loh-luh Fog-buh-mee-luh) is a Nigerian-American playwright, actress and scholar. Her internationally touring stage play “The Intersection: Woke Black Folk” has been met with critical acclaim by thinkers and artists such as Angela Davis and Erykah Badu. This production explores the complexities of Black political identity and is a story about how humans navigate difference. It premiered to sold-out houses at both the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles (as the featured theatrical production) and the Skirball Cultural Center. “The Intersection” has been staged in venues and universities across the U.S., England, France, the Netherlands and Brazil.

Funmilola serves as professor of Pan African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. As a founding member of the Black Lives Matter national network, Funmilola contributed to the organization’s inception in 2013 and served as the Arts and Culture director in LA for years following.

In 2015, Funmilola was honored by the United States Congress and the Black Community, Clergy and Labor Alliance for her commendable activist scholarship and service. In 2017, Prof. Fagbamila was awarded the Inaugural Activist-in-Residence position at the Institute on Inequality and Democracy at UCLA Luskin.  And in 2018, Amplify Africa and the US Congress honored Funmilola once more with the African Excellence award in the field of education.

Funmilola’s viral poem “Black Girl Fly” has been viewed online more than 4 million times and in 2021 the TNT network collaborated with Funmilola on a national feature of this piece. Her writing, creative productions and social commentary have been featured in publications such as the Guardian, BBC, NPR, NOW THIS news, Blavity, FOXtv and Netlflix.

In 2017 Cal State/LA hosted a public dialogue between Funmilola and the Ooni of Ife, traditional ruler of the largest African kingdom — Yoruba kingdom Ile-Ife. In 2018, Funmilola and Nigerian presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore participated in a public dialogue on the state of affairs in Nigeria and the African diaspora. And in 2020 Funmilola traveled to Paris at the request of the president of France, to offer her consultation in France’ plan to address the country’s colonial history with African nations. This came to fruition after the president, Emmanuel Macron, had viewed Funmilola’s social commentary and political analysis in the popular French publication, Le Monde.

Funmilola has delivered keynote addresses, lectures and performances at universities across the U.S. and Europe. Some of the venues include UCLA School of Law, Oxford University, Stanford and Harvard.

Category : Artist with multiple talks &Diversity and Multicultural &Funmilola Fagbamila &Leadership, Success & Motivational &Social Justice &Speakers

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