Black Theatre Day Brings History and Community to ÌÀ²»ÈÈÊÓƵ
From left to right: Jimmy Noriega, Fox Howard, Lyla Beringer, Keiron Gordon, and Michael Pogue
Michael Pogue ’06 invited participants into a circle meditation on the question: What does home mean to you? 
On September 17, students, faculty, and staff gathered in Columbia’s Courtyard Theater for an afternoon of reflection, ritual, and community. The program featured history, storytelling, and a collective meditation—an embodied reminder of how theatre connects people across generations and across the globe.
A Day Rooted in History
Dr. Jimmy A. Noriega, professor and director of the School of Theatre and Dance, shared the origins of Black Theatre Day, founded in 2021 by Dr. Monica White Ndounou through . The observance commemorates the African Grove Theatre’s first performance in 1821.
“That was 204 years ago,” Noriega says. “Before the abolition of slavery in New York, before the Civil War, before the Emancipation Proclamation. Think about what it meant for Black artists to create a space for culture and community in that moment.”
Though the theatre lasted only a few years, its legacy was profound. “The company was constantly under attack from people who didn’t want it to exist,” he says. “Yet they persisted. That’s why we celebrate today—both to honor the past and to support Black theatre companies doing this work now.”
Columbia’s Connection
This marks Columbia’s third year celebrating Black Theatre Day. Nationwide, the observance encourages communities to buy tickets, donate to, and amplify Black theatre.
“Every fall, we also offer an African American Theatre History course,” Noriega notes. “This day of celebration connects directly to our mission to make sure these stories are studied, remembered, and carried forward.”
A Collective Reflection
The program then shifted to assistant professor of instruction Michael Pogue ’06, who invited participants into a circle meditation on the question: What does home mean to you?
With eyes closed, attendees offered words like “family,” “peace,” “belonging,” and “community.”
“You are not alone, even when you think you are,” Pogue says. “You are always surrounded by your ancestors, your colleagues, your community. Black Theatre Day is about remembering that continuum.”
For Pogue, a Columbia graduate who returned as a faculty member, there was a personal connection.
“This is my fourth year teaching here,” he says. “And what I’ve realized is that no matter where I go, Columbia is home. It’s not just about a job or a paycheck—it’s the place that shaped me, and it’s with me everywhere I go.”
Looking Ahead
Both Noriega and Pogue stressed that the day is more than a commemoration. It is a call to sustain Black theatre and imagine new possibilities.
“For Columbia, the event underscored how theatre is not only about performance, but about community, continuity, and cultural survival,” Noriega says.
Lessons From Ghana
Earlier this year, Dr. Noriega, Assistant Professor of Instruction Michael Pogue ’06, and other faculty members traveled to Accra, Ghana, for the International Black Theatre Summit. Pogue said it was his first international trip and a transformative experience.
“From the moment I landed, I was reminded of how deeply spirit and art are interwoven,” he says. “Every conversation, every transition, there was song, there was dance, there was rhythm.”
The summit emphasized “ancestral intelligence” and the ways diasporic communities can exchange knowledge, strengthen infrastructure, and carry forward traditions of spirit-driven artistry. “In Ghana, they told us, ‘We’re good at bringing the spirit into what we do, but we need infrastructure,’” Pogue explains. “Here in the U.S., we often have infrastructure but risk losing touch with spirit. The lesson was that we need each other.”