The Fire of Freedom with Mike Wiley

Admission is free, but please register for tickets.

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Join us for a one-man show by award-winning actor and playwright Mike Wiley, Artist in Residence at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Read more about Wiley’s appointment here.

“The Fire of Freedom” is the story of Abraham H. Galloway (1837-1870), a fiery young slave rebel, radical abolitionist, and Union spy who rose out of bondage in Wilmington, North Carolina to become one of the most significant and stirring black leaders in the South during the Civil War. Throughout his brief, mercurial life, Galloway fought against slavery and injustice. He risked his life behind enemy lines, recruited black soldiers for the North, and fought racism in the Union army’s ranks. He also stood at the forefront of an African-American political movement, even leading a historic delegation of black southerners to the White House to meet with President Lincoln and to demand the full rights of citizenship. He later became one of the first black men elected to the North Carolina legislature. Long hidden from history, Galloway’s story reveals a war unfamiliar to most of us. This riveting portrait, based on the book of the same name by David Cecelski and adapted by playwright Howard Craft, illuminates Galloway’s life and deepens our insight into the Civil War and Reconstruction as experienced by African Americans in the South.

After the one-hour performance of “The Fire of Freedom,” there will be a talkback with Wiley, playwright Howard Craft, and historian David Cecelski.

This event is co-sponsored by UNC Digital and Lifelong Learning and Carolina K-12. Attending K-12 teachers can access lesson plans from Carolina K-12 on teaching about Abraham Galloway and related themes, as well as request CEU credits. Click here for details.

Admission is free, but please register for tickets.

Per the City of Durham and the Carolina Theatre’s health and safety policy, masks are recommended to be worn while inside the theatre but are no longer required. By reserving event tickets, you are acknowledging that health or safety requirements are subject to change and may be different by the time of your event.