AAPF to Present Staged Reading of #SAYHERNAME: THE LIVES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN In December
Event will feature a staged reading, panel discussion, and reflections from members of the #SayHerName Mothers Network.
The African American Policy Forum will present a fundraising staged reading of #SayHerName: The Lives That Should Have Been on December 8, 2025, in New York City.
The piece, based on interviews with members of the #SayHerName Mothers Network, reimagines the lives of Black women, girls, and femmes whose deaths were the result of state violence. The evening will include a post-show discussion with AAPF co-founder Kimberlé Crenshaw and mothers from the network, offering audiences an opportunity to engage with the themes of justice, memory, and community resilience.
The African American Policy Forum will present a staged reading of #SayHerName: The Lives That Should Have Been on Monday, December 8, 2025, at 7 p.m. The event will serve as a fundraiser and will feature a reading of the play, which draws from interviews with members of the #SayHerName Mothers Network and imagines the lives of Black women, girls, and femmes in a world where their deaths never occurred. The performance uses storytelling to reflect ongoing realities faced by families impacted by state violence while envisioning futures rooted in justice and recognition.
Originally debuting in 2019 at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, the play has evolved in step with the #SayHerName campaign, now more than a decade into its work reforming social, judicial, and law-enforcement practices. The creative team for this reading includes writers Julia Sharpe-Levine, a.k. payne, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and G'Ra Asim, with casting direction by Erica Jensen and spatial design by Teresa Williams. Actor Kara Young will serve as emcee for the evening.
Following the reading, AAPF co-founder and Executive Director Kimberlé Crenshaw will take part in a panel discussion with mothers from the #SayHerName Mothers Network. The annual December gathering brings together art, testimony, and communal ritual, offering audiences a space to honor those lost while reflecting on the lives that might have been.
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