by Shannon David
Carrboro Commons Writer

The ArtsCenter unveiled the hidden history of Carrboro and Chapel Hill through a multimedia performance titled, “Because We’re Still Here (And Moving)” on Friday, Feb. 15.

The performance incorporated original stories from the Carrboro and Chapel Hill communities with music, photographs, rap, poetry and dance.

The “Because We’re Still Here (And Moving)” performance used student actors as well as local actors from the community and incorporated original stories from the Carrboro and Chapel Hill communities with music, photographs, rap, poetry and dance.
Staff photo by Shannon David

“Because We’re Still Here (And Moving)” was the result of a two-year project in which local high school students and UNC-Chapel Hill students worked together to uncover stories by interviewing members of the local black community.

Lynden Harris, founder of the ArtsCenter’s Hidden Voices series, said the oral histories resulted in more than 1,400 pages of material. The stories were compiled with other information given to Hidden Voices such as photographs, scrapbooks and diaries.

“We talked to just an amazing wealth of community, and we are so fortunate,” Harris said. “Some of the people in this show are actually the students who went around and talked to the elders and gathered their stories.”

The performance not only featured oral histories of the community, but also screen-projected images of the actual people and places that were portrayed.

Roxanne Tatum, a resident of Chapel Hill, attended the performance and she said the images were very powerful in combination with the music, poetry and rap.

“Dramatic arts is a great vehicle to impact and educate,” Tatum said. “It is important for people to know their histories, not just African-Americans, but everyone.”

Tatum is not the only viewer praising the performance. Harris said that the ArtsCenter has been inundated with positive feedback in the form of letters, blogs and phone calls.

Harris said that many viewers have been asking for more performances, and as a result, the ArtsCenter is looking into an encore.

Staff videos by Shannon David