Jabari Dreams of Freedom

About the Show

Young Jabari isn’t trying to dream big. He’s just trying to live free. Through his art and his dreams, Jabari escapes to where Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin and other young heroes of the Civil Rights Movement teach him what it means to be fearless. When he meets an impressionable six-year-old Barack Obama, will Jabari have the courage to share the lessons he learned from the past to help ensure the future? Through rap, freedom songs, hip-hop dance and humor, Jabari Dreams of Freedom empowers young audiences to be brave and stand up. Let’s lift every voice and sing!

Young Jabari learns lessons of courage from civil rights-era heroes.

Did You Know?

1. In the spirit of this production, protest signs will be dispersed to audience members during parts of the show that feature Civil Rights Era historical protests. Hold them high!
2. Jabari Dreams of Freedom contains depictions of things that happened during the Civil Rights Era and that are still happening today—racism, police violence, protests.
3. An award-winning actress and playwright, Nambi E. Kelley was chosen by literary legend Toni Morrison to adapt her novel Jazz for the stage. She’s also the recipient of the Ben & Jerry’s Peacemaker of the Year Award for her work on Peace to the Fourth Power, a violence prevention play for young people.

About the Company

First Woman is named for the East African creation story from which playwright and founder Nambi E. Kelley’s first name comes, and the digital version of Jabari Dreams of Freedom was the inaugural production. Nambi E. Kelley first developed Jabari Dreams of Freedom at Chicago Children’s Theatre in 2016, then continued developing it during her time as a New Victory LabWorks Artist.

Creative Team