Upcoming Events

What started as a summer trip to New York City for a writing course, morphed into a long distance discourse and writing project on the cultural and racial significance of the African Burial Grounds in downtown Manhattan, ultimately launching a new life course for one Mercer student and Macon native and which is now the vehicle for an entertaining and inspiring discourse on bridging the racial divide.

Through an abbreviated presentation, George Faison (Tony Award winning choreographer/director) and David Jones (Mercer University and Mercer Law School Graduate) are previewing their upcoming play Beneath the Streets of New York City furthering discussions regarding  the urgency  to recognize and deal as a community with present day racial issues.  The play is centered on the search for the common thread in people as it traces a relationship between an aging black female commonly seen as a 'bag lady' and a young white college student preoccupied with the superficialities of life.  Through this unlikely relationship, the secrets locked beneath New York City and the African Burial Ground are revealed. 

Discovered in 1991, the African Burial Grounds in downtown Manhattan were subsequently built upon and stamped out for centuries yet continue to hold the stories of New York and America's history and continue to possess the ability to excite passion, induce sorrow and cause quite a stir in modern day Manhattan.  It is revealed through time that these historical events, if recognized and respected, are a necessary part of the bridge to a common future for all races.

Through the presentation and premiere in Macon, David and George are looking to partner with organizations in Macon to build a coalition dedicated to the success of not only this event, but also the long term plans of establishing Macon as a center for arts and culture. We envision a collaborative effort, of all of the wonderful programs already in Macon combining forces to become a unified front for the Macon arts and culture scene for years to come.

You are invited to the Douglass Theatre in downtown Macon May 6 at 6:30 PM to gather and see the start of what happens when the white and black communities in Macon, GA come together for a common purpose. Come and see what is found Beneath the Streets of New York City that will help in this ambitious goal.