Sarah Gethers will direct this funding toward the planning of a series of spaces where Black women can meet to share narratives about being students in the Pittsburgh area, with the resulting stories and insights informing a script for a new play.
“I have always created spaces, events and poetry that helps Black women feel seen and validated in their lived experiences,” says Gethers. “I started writing poetry while attending Duquesne University and that was the first time I learned my words could have a genuine impact on people who looked like me and felt ignored by the world around them.”
Gethers aims to make works of art that show that Black women are more complex than stereotypes, and centers her art on helping others see the myriad of ways in which they deserve love. She believes a thoughtfully-informed and well-written script “based on the truth around us will open the eyes of those who have chosen not to see us.”