black do crack is an invitation to transform. It is an exploration of the mythology of the strong black woman. The mother who is not allowed to crack, but is dying under the pressure of that fiction. Drugs and food. Escaping. Stuck. Moving slow. Moving too fast. We wail. In secret. Hiding our discomposure. Black bends, and do crack.

Playing with language, song and movement, black do crack is an exploration of the curse and the blessing of being a strong Woman. What happens when the bough breaks? How does time move if seasons change but we don’t? black do crack is an invitation to be honest with our struggles, and to truly see and make space for the struggle in one another. How do we check on each other? How do we make space for our daughters to use their wail to help them transform?

Written and performed by Florinda Bryant and directed by Matrex Kilgore