Inspired by the profound words of the spiritual “Were You There?” this two-day event brings together film, music, and dialogue to illuminate the often-overlooked stories of Black revolutionary women throughout history.
Day One: Screening & Conversation
Free with RSVP • Capacity limited to 75
Curated by the Roxbury International Film Festival, this program connects two extraordinary women across centuries:
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Elizabeth Freeman (Mumbet), who bravely sued for—and won—her freedom in 1781, helping to end slavery in Massachusetts.
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Fannie Lou Hamer, a force of the Civil Rights Movement whose moral courage reshaped voting rights advocacy in the 1960s.
Following the screening, journalist Tina Martin McDuffie moderates a conversation with:
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Joy Elaine Davenport, filmmaker
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Dr. Noelle N. Trent, CEO/President, Museum of African American History
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Kyera Singleton, Executive Director, Royall House & Slave Quarters
Guests are invited to explore the West End Museum’s permanent exhibition Rise, Fall, Rebirth: Stories of the West End, including interactive biographies of Black women abolitionists and a neighborhood Black History scavenger hunt.
Day Two: Concert & Reception
Free with RSVP • Capacity limited to 175
Experience a powerful musical tribute bringing together artists from Boston Lyric Opera and Castle of Our Skins. Through opera, spirituals, new works, and spoken testimony, this concert uplifts the lives of Black women whose leadership shaped American history—honoring both well-documented figures and those nearly lost to time.
Guests are invited to a pre-concert reception at 2:30 PM in the Susan Paul Room.
Why She Was There?
As Boston and the nation commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, She Was There asks:
Whose stories have we remembered? Whose have we overlooked? And how do we honor the women whose presence changed history?
This two-day program stands alongside BLO’s production of Daughter of the Regiment as a companion exploration of power, gender, and national identity—challenging audiences to reimagine who we see at the center of America’s story.
This program is presented in partnership by Boston Lyric Opera, Castle of our Skins, Everyone250, MA250, Museum of African American History, Roxbury International Film Festival, and West End Museum.
She Was There received funding from a civic practice grant from OPERA America’s Opera Fund.
The West End Museum
150 Staniford Street, Suite 7 | Boston, MA 02114
Museum of African American History
46 Joy Street | Boston, MA 02114
