As Black History Month draws to a close this week, it’s important to remember not only the heroes, but also the horrors that brought us to today.
The Meridian High School Department of Theater and Performing Arts in Mississippi will host a one-weekend-only run of “Death by Design: The Secret Holocaust of Wrightsville, Arkansas” Feb. 28-29 at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.
“Death by Design” tells the March 5, 1959, tragedy of the Negro Industrial School for Boys in Wrightsville. A dormitory fire claimed the lives of 21 boys because the doors had been locked, trapping them inside. It’s a story unknown to most of the U.S., and this show seeks to change that.
The production makes its Little Rock debut thanks to a team effort from Nostalgic Musik Productions, the MTTC, UrbanMediaGroup and the Black History Commission of Arkansas. It’s also part of the Arkansas Peace and Justice Memorial Movement’s Seeing AR History in 20/20 campaign.
You have three chances to catch the show: at noon and 5 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. on Saturday. Friday’s evening performance includes a grounding and lifting of names ceremony led by the Philander Smith College Creatives before the show. Saturday’s performance is followed by a screening of the documentary “Always in Season.”
Admission is free. For more information, click here.