Some stories don’t sit quietly on the page. They demand rhythm. They demand harmony. They demand a stage.
That’s where Reparations — Since 1776: The Musical begins — not as entertainment, but as a living score to a debt America never paid. From the fields where cotton once grew to the mics we stand behind today, the question of reparations has been carried in whispers, sermons, and songs. Now it takes its turn as a full musical work.
Why 1776
When people hear “1776,” they think independence. Fireworks. Freedom ringing from every bell tower. But independence for who? While one side of the nation celebrated, another was still chained, beaten, and sold. That fracture is the very seed this project grows from. The subtitle “Since 1776” is a reminder: this isn’t new. The bill has been collecting interest for centuries.
The Sound of a Struggle
Reparations — Since 1776: The Musical isn’t built like a standard Broadway piece. This is gospel fire colliding with jazz resilience, hip-hop defiance, and the raw call-and-response of Black survival. It moves through styles the way our history has moved through eras — from the spirituals that lit the path, to the jazz that held our joy, to the beats that carried protest into the streets.
The goal is more than applause. It’s recognition. It’s conversation. It’s that silence in the room when you realize the melody is telling your grandmother’s story, your uncle’s burden, your own inheritance.
Why a Musical?
Because music has always been more than music in our communities. It’s code. It’s memory. It’s the underground railroad of emotion. And while politicians argue and courts delay, art can strike faster and deeper. You might not read a 400-page report on reparations. But you’ll feel a song in your bones.
The Author’s Next Chapter
As the 2007 Author of the Year, I’ve told stories across more than 200 books. But some messages need more than ink. They need stage lights, microphones, and full-bodied harmony. This musical is my answer to that call — a relentless retelling, a demand set to rhythm.
Invitation
The mic is planted in the soil, just like the cover shows. Cotton in the background. Music in the foreground. Every note is rooted in history, but reaching for tomorrow.
The question isn’t whether reparations are owed. The question is whether we’ll finally stop humming around the issue and let the full song be heard.
🎶 Experience Reparations — Since 1776: The Musical:
👉 Watch on YouTube
New Release Dropped:
