I have lived most of my entire life in the DC-Metro area, and surprisingly have never stopped by this gem. Smack dab behind what felt like the longest walk in my life, behind the U.S Congress building was The Folger Shakespeare Library.
Folger Library hosts the world largest collection of Shakespeare’s work. Henry and Emily Folger started collecting in 1889, and today, their collection houses over 300,000 objects. The Folger Library consists of a museum, gift shops, a café, a library for approved scholars only, to get their hands on the timeless content within the walls of this building.
I came to actually do some work for the website here, cause I heard they had a great café upstairs, which we’re not here to talk about (even though it has personally the best chicken pot pie I’ve had in ages).
I had heard about a specific exhibit titled To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare. I, of course, had to check it out!
A little bit about me, your girl was a little thespian, but I also had a great interest in the work of Shakespeare. From personal connections of hear about friends and family members engaging in the plays or being in them, to reading Macbeth specifically a lot as a child, I was fascinated by the world building, storytelling, and the story behind William Shakespeare.
count how many times I mention Shakespeare in this blog post
When I walked in, the first thing I noticed was the costumes peaking out from the exhibit (Just a heads up, it’s donation based, so bring some money or see a show if you would like to support the Library).
I informed one of the staff that I hate that I haven’t been here yet, and asked when at least the exhibit portion of the building had been opened. She said at least 95 years, and I never felt so much embarrassment calling myself a local and not coming. Now I can officially say I am!
Image of the Library’s exterior. Photo Credit: Me
I got my sticker, and walked in the exhibit. I tried on a really cute hat and I know I would’ve rocked Tudor England. The exhibit has many, many a books, and pages opened to highlight excerpts that had been studied, edited, and interpreted. As I was reading, I noticed there was a printing press demo, that we’ll get more into a little later, but I felt chills as I saw the adorned costumes for the exhibit I came here for…
Me Rocking that 16th-17th century headwear!
Photo Credit: Me
To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare: A Review
Afrofuturistic Costuming for Roy Alexander Weise's Much Ado About Nothing c. 2023. Photo Credit: Me
I definitely went the wrong way, but the exhibit is broken down into 4 parts: Black Women in Early Modern Europe (1560-1700), Shakespeare, Sugar, and Slavery (1620-1820), Taking The Stage (1820-Present) and Black Thought on Shakespeare (1880-Present).
Without giving away too much, the exhibit curators were able to find connections between Shakespeare and Black Women with adjacent proximity and influence from his work from those who lived around him in England, and how it was applied to by Black Women, as well as how we engage with Shakespeare as a whole.
Curators and Scholars now agree that Shakespeare was in a more diverse world than expected, which is not new to me entirely knowing a bit more about European history, but it was new to me to see all the familiar names inspired and connected with the works of Shakespeare.
Some of those names include Maya Angelou, Phillis Wheatley, and even Ida B. Wells. It also introduced me to some names I would love to learn more about like Frances DeBerry and Lucy Negro.
I am so impressed by this intentional, interactive, information and exciting exhibit put together by Dr. Patricia Akhimie, Dr. Kim F. Hall, Dr, Joyce Green MacDonald, and Adjoa Andoh MBE, who you might now from Bridgerton fame.
I will definietly be bringing friends to this exhibit to check it out!
Ok. Now let’s talk about the…
Printing Press!!!!
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Printing Press!!!! *
I am quite familiar with the printing press, but never in my life had I received content from the printing press to take home! I’m sure they were like “Why is she so hyped about paper”, but truly, it was so cool to see the process in action, as long as try out the exhibit, because at this point, I had only been an observer at other demonstrations. I got a little chance to talk to the curator for 16th to 17th Printing (I’m very sure this is not his exact title), Aaron and asked him, especially after leaving the previous exhibit, if he thinks there might have been Black and Brown folk working in the shop to earn their keep. We both discussed and pondered the possibility while reviewing the exhibit together, and let’s just say, my life was made being in this space.
Photos from Demonstration: Asked Permission
Being in this space just kept reiterating what I tell people I know about history. Many people hate that they were lied to in school, or bored by having to read a bunch of articles (which is getting thrown back in our face now), and just were not interested in “learning about things that had already happened” and “not needing to bring out the past”.
Now, you don’t have to know everything, but to me, it’s so important to seek out knowledge. We have such an interesting planet full of experiences, people, and stories that we are apart of. Especially now being part of the new adults, it’s my duty to make sure people engaging in it, learn about it, and pass it on like our ancestors did.
If I hadn’t come to this exhibit, I would not have learned something new, and to quote Billie Holiday, If nobody can learn from the past, then there's no point in raking it up.
If you are ever in Washington D.C, please check out the Library, as well as this exhibit: To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare before it closes. Also, check out some plays! I will be going back to watch one and see if I can check out the actual library!
