Freedom Square: The Black Girlhood Altar at Northwestern University's Wirtz Center

Choreographed by Founding Artistic Director and CEO Vershawn Sanders-Ward, this evening-length work honors the lives, stories and enduring legacy of missing and murdered Black women and girls. Performed by the Red Clay Dance Company ensemble, with original music by Jamila Woods and costume design by Shaqui Reed and Alyna Michelle, it blends Afro-contemporary dance, storytelling, digital media and immersive design. Inspired by The Black Girlhood Altar installation by Scheherazade Tillet and Robert Narcisco, the production transforms the stage into a living sanctuary for remembrance, healing and collective action. A post-show discussion with the Black Arts Consortium, moderated by Professor Thomas F. DeFrantz, will follow the opening night performance.