To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare
To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare examines the ways Black women have claimed, transformed, and performed Shakespeare’s language, stories, and characters. The exhibition connects histories of Shakespearean performance with newer research on Black women in early modern Europe, including the ways they were portrayed by artists and writers of the period. Its title comes from Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130.
Nearly 100 objects—including photographs, playbills, posters, books, diaries, illustrations, costumes, and other archival materials—trace the work of figures such as Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, Lorraine Hansberry, Mae Turner, Esther Rolle, and Phillis Wheatley. The exhibition considers Black women as actors, scholars, authors, artists, musicians, and directors who have used Shakespeare to challenge exclusion and expand the possibilities of his work.
When: October 16, 2026–May 2, 2027
Showtimes: No daily hours or showtimes are listed on the event page.
Venue: Stuart and Mimi Rose Rare Book and Manuscript Exhibition Hall at the Folger Shakespeare Library
Tickets: Free; a $15 donation is recommended.
Exhibition focus: The exhibition explores Black women’s histories in Shakespearean performance, their engagement with Shakespeare’s language and characters, and the representation of Black women in early modern Europe.
Featured material: The display includes a 1645 etching by Wenceslaus Hollar, a 1935 magazine feature about Desdemona Waters, Kennedi Carter’s 2020 archival pigment print *Tamika*, Phillis Wheatley’s copybook, a 2022 Royal Shakespeare Company performance photograph of Taya Ming and Mohammed Mansaray in *Much Ado About Nothing*, and Shakespeare’s 1598 *Love’s Labour’s Lost*.
Curator: Dr. Patricia Akhimie, Director of the Folger Institute
Exhibition chair: Adjoa Andoh MBE, who also narrates the exhibition’s audio guide and chairs related special events. She is known for playing Lady Danbury in Netflix’s *Bridgerton*.
Audio guide: A free guide is available through the Bloomberg Connects app. It includes narration by Adjoa Andoh, as well as contributions from Patricia Akhimie and scholars Kim F. Hall and Joyce Green MacDonald.
Accessibility and logistics: Visitors are encouraged to bring headphones for the audio guide. A limited number of devices can be borrowed, and free Wi-Fi is available for accessing the guide in the galleries.
Exhibition team: Verónica E. Betancourt is the interpretive consultant. Research fellows include Atesede Makonnen, Brandi K. Adams, Patricia Matthew, Joyce Green MacDonald, and Kim F. Hall, with additional research by Noémie Ndiaye. The project also includes contributions from research assistants, mapmakers, designers, fabricators, conservators, and staff across the Folger’s exhibitions, collections, operations, and Folger Institute departments.
Catalog: A full-color exhibition catalog from ACMRS Press features essays by Patricia Akhimie, Verónica Betancourt, Kim F. Hall, Ayanna Thompson, and other contributors.
Additional media: A companion playlist features artists including Maxine Sullivan, Aretha Franklin, and Marian Anderson, focusing on artists who have invoked Shakespeare’s works through music.
Support: Daniel W. Hamilton is the lead sponsor. Additional support comes from the Henry Luce Foundation, Dell Technologies, and Room & Board Home Furnishings.