Join Better Said Than Done on Thursday, June 10th, for our second annual Black Stories Matter show. Tickets are on sale now!
Though this is a storytelling show, it is also a fundraiser. Proceeds benefit the Fairfax County NAACP. Karen Campblin, Chapter President of the Fairfax County NAACP, had this to say about the benefit event.
“Black stories aren’t being elevated nearly enough in our society, which makes events and forums like these critical. Fairfax NAACP’s main charge is making the voice of our community heard to ensure political, social, educational and economic equality for all of Fairfax and the Commonwealth of Virginia. We’re very excited to work with Better Said Than Done and look forward to future collaboration.”
Your host for this special evening is Nick Baskerville. He’ll be bringing you six immensely talented storytellers who will fill the night with powerful, thought-provoking, and compelling stories.
We asked these tellers to reflect on why it’s important to hear these stories of the Black experience in today’s world. Here’s what David Fakunle, Lynette Ford, Chetter Galloway, Arthuretta Holmes-Martin, Carol Moore, and Devan Sandiford had to say…
David Fakunle: My story is an example of the beautiful power within Black lives. My journey is one of serendipity, or perhaps a grander design. In a country where so much of Black existence is systemically determined, it is hard to imagine anything happening outside of White power’s nefarious intent. My life is a series of moments that happened for one reason or another, and the collective outcome is a man fighting racial oppression with unapologetic Blackness, and winning.
Lynette Ford: My story speaks about a couple moments when words and stories had an impact on mindsets of assumed privilege and misplaced power. As black individuals living and working in many European-American social constructs, we must make others aware that we daily face such unnecessarily stressful moments. It’s waaay past time for them to stop.
Chetter Galloway: Stories can help people understand the complexities in our society and also provide a perspective which they may have never considered or heard. They also enable us to bridge gaps and make a connection with a common theme to help us make sense of things.
Arthuretta Holmes-Martin: Storytelling is the oldest form of communication. It is the first form of teaching in every culture. Storytelling directly affects the brain and affects human thought and behavior. I do not tell stories to simply entertain; I tell stories to message and trigger the listener to experience the story.
Carol Moore: I think it’s important for people to understand how certain aspects of our differences can be noticed and acknowledged, that’s great! But they should always be respected as well.
Devan Sandiford: It’s important to hear Black people’s stories because the breadth of our lives are not often featured in mainstream media. Instead a singular story of our existence often drives people’s perceptions of who we are as a monolithic group. Listening to diverse stories can open our eyes to perspectives we otherwise don’t have access to, which ultimately expands the understanding of our own humanity.
Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into the importance of these stories, come experience them for yourself. The show starts at 8:00 P.M. EDT. It is live streamed and all ticket holders can watch live OR anytime after until July 7, 2021. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, with a standard price of $25 and a minimum of $5 (plus a $1 handling fee). All proceeds benefit the Fairfax County NAACP.
Get your tickets now!
