Next in New York

In August 2005, I landed a role in a Northern Light Production of a 5-min piece for the NY Historical Society exhibit SLAVERY IN NEW YORK. The exhibit chronicles the economics of slavery in NY State. The exhibit includes an extensive showcase that features more than 20 art pieces newly commissioned for this show and 27 multi-media presentations, one of them being the piece that I am in called "The Well".
I play a slave of African descent named Madamaraya.
It was 2 days of grueling work. Take after take after take... Hollywood is no joke ya'll!

Anyways, what made it all worth it for me beyond the paycheck was the gift of the flashback.
I allowed myself to flashback to a moment in American history when our struggles,
our "issues"
were deeper than any I could ever pretend to know now.

During production of "The Well", I had an invaluable opportunity to work with
Senior Producer Judy Richardson, former filmmaker/producer of Blackside Inc. original Eyes on the Prize series.

***FLASHBACK***

I remember growing up in the 80's and my mom forcing my siblings and I to drop everything to watch PBS's Eyes on the Prize with her in her bedroom.
I remember how angry and confused I'd get by the end of the hour.
Those images reluctantly stayed with me and slowly drew into focus as I got older.

I don't remember learning any of it in my history classes.
I figured maybe it was too embarrassing of a moment in history for them to talk about it.
I mean, they talked about the obvious heros, but never seemed to ever elaborate on the details of the struggle, and the movement and the situations that lead up to the why we had to even HAVE a movement in the first place.

Amazing ...how years later, life brought me an opportunity to thank the woman directly responsible for supplying me with a truthful glimpse into a past we all wish we didn't have to remember.

But we do, don't we...

We have to remember her.
We have to believe that a woman named Madamaraya was real

We have to remember what became of these lives from the bullshit to the blessings
From the Rosa Parks to the the thousands of other names we fail to speak of

We have to remember to take nobody's story for granted
We have to remember that no matter how bad things get
there will always be room
For words like...
tomorrow and maybe...
and eventually
change can come

MAIN EXHIBIT VIEWING at the New-York Historical Society located at Central Park West and 77th Street from October 7, 2005 to March 5, 2006.
Museum and Museum Store Hours:Tuesday - Sunday 10am to 6pmOpen Friday until 8pmOpen Holiday Mondays: October 10, December 26, January 16, and February 20

http://www.slaveryinnewyork.org/index.html

photo of Derrick Ashong and Iyeoka Okoawo on location
for more pictures of production shoot for Slavery In New York go to http://www.iyeoka.com/gallery/.