The Sr Center will be open on MLK day; all regular programs will be held as usual. In recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr’s work, a performance of The People Could Fly will take place at 2:00pm on our stage in room 103.
“The People Could Fly” is one of the most extraordinary, moving tales in black folklore. It almost makes us believe that the people could fly. There are numerous separate accounts of flying Africans and slaves in the black folktale literature. Such accounts are often combined with tales of slaves disappearing. A plausible explanation might be the slaves running away from slavery, slipping away while in the fields or under cover of darkness. In code language murmured from one slave to another, “Come fly away!” might have been the words used. Another explanation is the wish-fulfillment motif.
“The People Could Fly” is a detailed fantasy tale of suffering, of magic power exerted against the so-called Master and his underlings. Finally, it is a powerful testament to the millions of slaves who never had the opportunity to “fly” away. They remained slaves, as did their children. “The People Could Fly” was first told and retold by those who had only their imaginations to set them free.
This performance by the Sr Center’s Encore Players is free and open to the public.
