The Just and the Blind

Conceived & written by Marc Bamuthi Joseph | Original music by Daniel Bernard Roumain | Directed by Michael John Garcés

Emerson Paramount Center's Robert J. Orchard Stage

Fri. April 1, 8:00 PM Sat. April 2, 8:00 PM

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The Just and the Blind is one of the most unique and powerfully urgent works that we’re presenting this season. This multimedia journey of poetry, music, dance, photography, and projected animation sold out its commissioned premiere at Carnegie Hall, and it’s now touring the country’s most significant cultural centers.

Conceived, written, and narrated by the captivating spoken-word artist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, The Just and the Blind “explore[s] themes of racial profiling, sentencing, and the prison-industrial complex from the perspective of fathers of Black and Brown children… centered on the humanity of the historically marginalized, provid[ing] a framework for the unique voices of the community, striving to humanize the Black and Brown children who are enmeshed in it.”

The work features live, original music by composer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Bernard Roumain, a boundary-defying musician whose high-profile collaborations include such varied artists as Philip Glass, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover, and Lady Gaga. Joining them will be versatile Boston-based vocalist Débo Ray, a Grammy nominee and a featured artist in several of our Neighborhood Arts performances.

This year, the well-respected King of Flexin' KingHavoc joins the performing arts group. For nearly ten years, the Brooklyn native who is one of the key players in establishing Flexin', the dancehall, reggae, hip-hop dance, as an art form, plans on showcasing his moves during this multimedia experience.

The experience of The Just and the Blind is more than the sum of these already impressive parts, and we encourage everyone to join us for its Boston premiere.

This event is part of The Movement Series. Learn more >>

“Raise a fist up for our youth, or throw your hands up, like an innocent alleluia, like a boy in Ferguson gone too soon… ”
Marc Bamuthi Joseph

“The spoken-word poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph and the violinist and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain have developed a viscerally eloquent partnership, infusing artistic expression with social activism…”
THE NEW YORKER

“[A] raw, cry from the soul… driven by Mr. Joseph’s stinging, brilliant words.”
THE NEW YORK TIMES