“Day of Tears” to be Performed at OIC and ParaDYM Academy Black History Month Event, Mar 3rd

A stage adaptation of Julius Lester’s book “Day of Tears” will be performed at the New Britain Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) and ParaDYM Academy Black History Month celebration on March 3, 2018.

Lester’s novel, “Day of Tears” is about the true events of March 2nd and 3rd of 1859, at what was largest recorded auction in U.S. history of people held in slavery. The Library of Congress website describes it as the, “The Weeping Time“:

On March 3, 1859, journalist Q. K. Philander Doesticks (Mortimer Thomson) attended an auction of 436 men, women, and children formerly held by Pierce M. Butler. Butler’s slaves were auctioned in order to pay debts incurred in gambling and the financial crash of 1857-58. Doesticks’ account, What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?, includes vivid descriptions of the largest recorded slave auction in U.S. history. The grim sale, which took place over two rainy days on the eve of the Civil War, was referred to as “The Weeping Time.”

The stage adaptation, by Ms. Laurie Cabral will be presented at 4:00pm.

OIC will showcase local vendors at the event from 3:00pm to 6:30pm.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

OIC of New Britain provides services to economically empower people in the community, such youth employment and job training. OIC of America describes the mission of OIC as, “preparing people for today’s workforce by providing educational, health, and employment readiness services to underserved and underrepresented communities.”

ParaDYM, Inc. describes ParaDYM Academy as offering, “youth, that have already been identified as at-risk, an opportunity to learn 21st Century skill sets related to media production and media literacy as they work along side dedicated mentors and job skill coaches to improve their ability to develop a sustainable roadmap for their future. The long-term goal of ParaDYM Inc is to provide a pathway for success for at-risk and marginalized students interested in pursuing, post-secondary education and 21st Century careers reliant on media production, distribution and digital asset management.”