AAPF to Present #SAYHERNAME: The Lives That Should Have Been
Originally debuted in 2019 at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the play has been developed by writers Julia Sharpe-Levine, a.k. payne, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and G'Ra Asim.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Nov. 19, 2025
On Monday, December 8, 2025, The African American Policy Forum will present a staged reading of #SayHerName: The Lives That Should Have Been, a play that centers on the lives of Black women, girls, and femmes lost to state-sanctioned violence. This updated version of the play is based on interviews with participants from the #SayHerName Mothers' Network and invites audiences to imagine a reality in which these lives were not cut short.
Originally debuted in 2019 at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the play has been developed by writers Julia Sharpe-Levine, a.k. payne, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and G'Ra Asim, with casting directed by Erica Jensen and spatial design by Teresa Williams. The performance will begin at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm.
#SayHerName is a campaign by the African American Policy Forum and the #SayHerName Mothers' Network, organizations that advocate for reforms in social, judicial, and law enforcement practices to ensure the lives of Black individuals are recognized and valued. Every December, they organize events full of artivism, ceremony, and ritual to honor those lost to systemic violence.
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