Colorado Humanities’ city-spanning Black History Live Tour to return in February

Jan. 30, 2025

Poster provided by Colorado Humanities

Throughout February, Colorado Humanities’ Black History Live Tour will share the stories of two Black historical figures through scholar portrayals.

The first performance of the tour takes place on Feb. 1 from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Cañon City Public Library. Information on each performance’s date, time, location and featured historical figure can be found on Colorado Humanities’ event calendar. These events are free and open to the public.

Jennifer Macias is the history programs coordinator at Colorado Humanities, a humanities education-focused nonprofit organization based in Greenwood Village; she said that the Black History Live Tour was created to acknowledge Black History Month and what African Americans have played a part in and accomplished throughout history.

“That is kind of a jump start for an appreciation for Black History Month, which is in February, and the focus is really to acknowledge the significant contributions that African Americans have made and continue to make in different areas like culture, economic development, education, human rights, art, medicine, politics [and] sports,” Macias said.

This year, each event will either feature storyteller Becky Stone’s portrayal of Harriet Tubman or living historian Marvin Jefferson’s Louis Armstrong depiction.

According to Macias, the performing scholars use Chautauqua storytelling, which has them thoroughly research a historical figure and create a 40-minute monologue to perform that reflects their findings. She noted Colorado Humanities has been experimenting with this style of performing for about 25 years.

“Chautauqua-style performance is unique in that the scholars are experts in the characters that they have chosen to portray. So, they have read all of the books, and watched all of the documentaries, and read all of the primary and secondary sources and put together this script that is based in historical fact,” Macias said.

Each event’s monologue will be followed by a 20-minute Q&A session, where Macias said attendees can ask the scholars questions while still in character and then out of character.

Photo provided by Colorado Humanities

Stone has been part of several Black History Live Tours and enjoys the Q&A sessions. In an email interview, she said she appreciates the challenges that arise from interacting in character with the audience, noting that she builds onto her character portrayals by thinking about audience perspectives and reactions.

“In theater, there is no connection to your audience. They sit in the dark and watch you. With Chautauqua and storytelling, you get to see their faces and respond to what you feel and hear from them,” Stone said.

Macias said each year’s historical figures are selected in collaboration with the scholars and with what appeals to Colorado communities in mind.

Photo provided by Colorado Humanities

She gave the example of Jefferson’s Armstrong portrayal, which originated at a festival in Greeley and impressed Colorado Humanities the first time they saw it. They felt that Jefferson’s performance and Armstrong’s ties to art and jazz music would resonate with their tour’s audiences.

Stone said she enjoys performing as Tubman, who she described as a storyteller with a direct and lively personality.

She is fond of everyone she portrays and appreciates the learning opportunities their stories allow her to have; she has performed as Pauli Murray, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Josephine Baker, among others.

“I enjoy doing all of my characters because every time I do them, I bring them to a new audience, and I learn something new about them or about myself as an artist,” she said.

Stone has been storytelling for over 20 years, starting with her portrayal of Pauli Murray at The Greenville Chautauqua Festival in South Carolina.

She sees great importance in telling stories through the Chautauqua format because it allows audiences to learn about, relate to and picture themselves in moments throughout history.

“I think audiences like the way they feel after a Chautauqua performance. That’s why they come back,” Stone said.

Macias also reflected on the impacts of Chautauqua and the Black History Live Tour; she noted that Colorado Humanities hopes to expand the tour in the future so it can take place year-round.

“It really, I think, gives an opportunity for people in the community and in the audience to feel like they're a part of this narrative, but also, then to make connections between the past and the present,” Macias said.

More information and announcements related to The Black History Live Tour, as well as Colorado Humanities’ other programs, can be found on the nonprofit’s website. Some information on Colorado Humanities’ upcoming events can also be found on their Instagram and Facebook pages.