Join award-winning actor and playwright Mike Wiley and nationally known thought leaders for a series of virtual conversations examining issues of race, justice, and social equity.
Our Higher Ground Conversations continue in February with historian and author Dr. David Cecelski and film director and writer Lana Garland.
Watch this space each month for information on our next guests. We’ll also be posting videos of each program shortly after the event.
Register below in the Distinguished Speakers section and join us February 18, 2021 at 7:00pm.
Historian | Author
Dr. David Cecelski is the author of several books and more than 700 articles on race, culture and history in eastern North Carolina. Among his books are The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves’ Civil War and The Waterman’s Song: Slavery and Freedom in Maritime North Carolina. With Tim Tyson, he also edited Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy.
Film Director | Writer | Producer
Lana Garland has worked as a Creative Director, Director, and Writer/Producer in television and film in the US and Europe. Her work has included content for HBO, BET, and ESPN in America, and TV2 in Denmark. In documentary film, she has worked on films such as Bowling for Columbine, Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, and Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives.
All Higher Ground Conversations are free and open to the public. We are accepting donations in our virtual tip jar to cover the costs of the series and continue to attract quality guests in the future. We certainly appreciate and value your support.
September 17, 2020 | John Biewen – WATCH NOW!
October 15, 2020 | Dr. Rupert Nacoste – WATCH NOW!
November 19, 2020 | Young People’s Program
December 17, 2020 | Dr. Heather Thompson
January 21, 2021 | Daniele McGuire
February 18, 2021 | Dr. David Cecelski
March 18, 2021 | Loki Mulholland
April 15, 2021 | Dr. Carolyn McKinstry
We’re hoping to get back on the road in 2021. Join our mailing list to learn more.
“If the house is to be set in order, one cannot begin with the present, he must begin with the past.” – John Hope Franklin
Mike Wiley Productions is a driving force in the development and promotion of documentary theatre. Led by actor and playwright, Mike Wiley, the company’s plays span the worlds of Emmett Till, Henry “Box” Brown, Jackie Robinson and more. Each work in the company’s repertoire is designed to inspire audiences to examine America’s racial history, teach the lessons of the past and encourage the application of these truths to the present.
Through his performances, Wiley has introduced countless students and communities to the legacies of Emmett Till, Henry “Box” Brown and more. His recent works include a one-man play based on Tim Tyson’s memoir Blood Done Sign My Name and The Parchman Hour, an ensemble production celebrating the bravery and determination of the Freedom Riders who risked their lives to desegregate Southern interstate bus travel in 1961.
Mike Wiley has a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was the 2010 and 2014 Lehman Brady Visiting Joint Chair Professor in Documentary Studies and American Studies at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Most recently he was named a Distinguished Alumni of UNC-Chapel Hill and was the recipient of the 2020 Ann Atwater Theater Award, recognizing Triangle theater artists whose body of work reflects and honors Ann Atwater’s lifelong commitment to activism for social justice.
For more information about Mike Wiley Productions or to book Mike for a performance, please visit www.mikewileyproductions.com or reach out to Stephen Barefoot at stephen@goingbarefoot.com or call 919.489.1541.
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