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17th Annual Blacks in Wax
Hip-Hop: The Music, The Culture, The Struggle
DC Youth Celebrate Over 50 Years of Hip-Hop with Fresh Take on Historical Showcase
(Washington, DC) – The Bowser administration, DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and the Recreation Wish List Committee (RWLC), led by Cora Masters Barry, bring musical and social activists to life through performances by the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (SETLC) Tennis Scholars for the 17th Annual Blacks in Wax powered by PEPCO. THEARC Theater and the John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts will host headlining free performances of SETLC’s 2024 Blacks in Wax on March 8 and March 16.
“This year’s Blacks in Wax is a departure from the previous 16 productions focusing on how Hip-Hop has changed the world from social justice to the judicial system; its impact on youth; and its influence on style and fashion,” said Cora Masters Barry, Founder/CEO, SETLC and RWLC.
Over 60 SETLC Tennis Scholars will portray characters ranging from Grand Master Flash to Kendrick Lamar and Roxanne Shante to Missy Elliot in creative museum and stage settings. Witness more young people, ages 5 to 17, transform at the touch of a button from a “wax replica” to a live portrayal of influential figures from the worlds of entertainment, activism, politics, and literature. Following the wax museum visit, the audience will be treated to a live stage performance of vignettes that will educate and entertain all ages through dance, music, and drama, all revolving around Hip-Hop.
“Blacks in Wax is a premier life-changing experiential learning program for District youth,” said DPR Director Thennie Freeman. “Blacks in Wax takes child athletes from a drama workshop after school at a recreation center to performing at the world-renowned Kennedy Center in a matter of months. Blacks in Wax is living art and an innovative model of arts and education!”
17th Annual Blacks in Wax Washington, D.C. Performances:
Friday, March 8, 2024 | 6:00 p.m.
THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Avenue, SE
Saturday, March 16, 2024 | 4:45 p.m.
John F. Kennedy Center of Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW
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ABOUT THE RECREATION WISH LIST COMMITTEE (RWLC)
Founded in 1995 by former First Lady of DC, Cora Masters Barry, the Recreation Wish List Committee (RWLC) is a non-profit working to improve the quality of recreational opportunities for underserved youths in the District. RWLC has renovated and refurbished ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and provided computer labs all across the City—from the Bald Eagle Recreation Center in Ward 8 to the Chevy Chase Community Center in Ward 3. RWLC’s flagship project, started in 2001, is the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, a state-of-the-art tennis and learning facility that features a library, five classrooms, computer lab, fitness center, and a community meeting room. www.recreationwishlist.org