—Ashanti proverb

Through the genre of one-woman theater, thespian sisters from across the nation are taking to the stage, and bringing light to the undaunted actions of African-American women throughout time. Of the women they portray in their separate venues, some are renowned—many, obscure.  All were remarkable.

“I love it,” says Vernice Jackson, of Ohio, of the stage experience that regularly connects her to the personality of international star, Josephine Baker.

Jackson, a college professor and training consultant, is President of Women in History, a non-profit organization dedicated to education through the re-creation of the lives of notable women in U.S. history.

“We call them ‘living vignettes,’” Jackson said of the solo performances.  “Part of our focus was to give glimpses of the lives of these women so that people walk away with a sense of who the [particular] woman was.”

Also among Jackson’s repertoire of characters are those of entrepreneur/philanthropist, Madame C.J. Walker; Union spy, Mary Elizabeth Bowser; and Josephine Wilson Bruce, the first African-American principal of a Cleveland public school.

But, Jackson, whose consulting work often takes her abroad, says that it is the “cross cultural experience” which most bonds her to Josephine Baker, whom she sees as having had an incredible ego. (right, Jackson as Josephine Baker)

“She laps up the adulation,” Jackson said of “Baker’s” reaction to those who “have come out to see her.”   “So I tell the audience that I’ve been asked to tell them about my life.” She continues--now in full character: “But, Oh no, Cherie! There is too much to tell.  And besides, one must be discreet!” 

It is easy to see why Jackson said that what she enjoys most about performing for the audience is “watching them get caught up in the illusion.”

For Sherrie Tolliver, also of Ohio and a performer with Women in History, walking in the proverbial “shoes” of women the likes of track-and-field Olympic Gold Medallist, Wilma Rudolph, helps her to explain how ordinary people become extraordinary.    Tolliver, a graduate of New York University, with a degree in theater (and a minor in African-American History), seemed destined to play the roles that she does.

“Actually, the work chose me,” she said.  “It was kind of like ‘when the student is ready, the teacher will come.’”

For years, Tolliver had collected various articles about obscure African-American women historical figures with plans to one-day design performances around them.  Then, a friend told her about Women in History.

“By that time, I already had seven characters researched and ready to go,” she said. (at left, Tolliver as Wilma Rudolph)

Among Tolliver’s other character portrayals are: Susie King Taylor, the first African-American US Army nurse during the Civil War; Marie LeVeau, famous herbalist and voodoo queen of New Orleans, and Susan McKinley, the first African-American doctor in New York State.

She voices evident homage toward the women.

“Once you [look at] these women’s lives, you have so much respect for our ancestors,” she said.  "They had nothing when they were born, and they accomplished more than the average person with education and privilege—and it wasn’t for money or glory.  And it obviously wasn’t for fame, because most are obscure.”

For Tolliver, neither money nor glory constitutes the most rewarding moments of her one-woman performances.  She spoke of a past portrayal of Bessie Coleman for a group of middle school students.

“It was one of those days when I ask, ‘Why do I do this?’” she said. "Then, a young girl who was a student at the middle school came by looking totally miserable, and for some reason I was moved to talk to her. I told her that things would get better—that you can never give up."

It was perhaps a destined exchange as Tolliver later found out from that the girl was experiencing serious personal problems, and had been recently suspended. 

The young girl’s teacher told Tolliver that her words of advice had improved the girl’s attitude.

"It was just one of those days when God puts you in the right place at the right time," she said.

In Utah, Deidre Tyler, gets hope from reconstructing the steps of western pioneers, Stagecoach Mary Fields and Lucy Pierson, and wants others to feel the same way. 

Tyler, who holds a Ph.D. in sociology and teaches at Salt Lake Community College, is a performer with the National Women’s History Project, a collective organization of women costumed performers from across the nation. 

"It's been difficult living in Utah," she said of her experience as a Black woman among very few Blacks living in an overwhelmingly white area of the country.  That is perhaps why she admires the relentless spirit of the gun totin', cigar-smoking Fields, who was born a slave in Tennessee, in 1832.  Pierson, who entered the West as the maid of a white family, took on a different role after the husband divorced his wife to marry Pierson.

“These women had to be tough in order to survive,” Tyler said.  Doing this enables me to say that if they could do what they did in the 1800s, then we can all go through negative experiences and make it.”                                                                                       

For Kemba Johnson-Webb, of Chicago, reenacting the journey of Underground Railroad conductor Harriet Tubman, gives her “the opportunity to pronounce the strength of our ancestors on whose shoulders we stand.”  (at right, Johnson-Webb as Harriet Tubman)

Johnson-Webb, who is Founder and Cultural Artistic Director for American History Live, a touring company, which re-creates historical figures of African ancestry can’t remember a time when she wasn’t putting on a show.

“I grew up performing for my grandmother,” said Johnson-Webb.  “After I experienced a bout with polio, she, a root doctor, did all that she could to heal me, and trained me to use my voice and hands in case I would never walk.”

She talked about her commitment to the Strong Black Women series of her company.

“The stories need to be told,” she said.  “Black children and adults need to know what strong stock they came from. We are not descendants of slaves.  We are descendants of strong, royal Africans, who endured the brutal system of slavery."

Johnson-Webb’s performances are “one-woman” in virtually every sense of the word.  She handles all aspects of her productions, from researching the characters, to script construction, to costume design. 

“The shows are rich with spirituals, sung a cappella throughout the piece,” she said.  “It gives an example of how we sang to get messages to one another when we were not allowed to talk among ourselves.”                                                       

Johnson-Webb’s current portrayals include the characters of pioneer educator, Mary McLeod-Bethune; anti-slavery and women’s rights activist, Sojourner Truth; anti-lynching crusader, Ida B. Wells, and pioneer “Aunt” Clara Brown.  She is working to develop others.                                                                                                 

“I hesitate to call this acting,” she said.  “I [see it as] a calling of the spirit—and these women come.  They visit with me and help to tell their stories.  Once ‘we’re’ in costume, ‘we’ like taking a few minutes of quiet before entering the stage.”

When strong women are singularly re-created, audiences are “enlightened, encouraged, and motivated,” said Johnson-Webb.                                                                         

“It all comes down to empowerment,” adds Vernice Jackson.  “Not just of women, but of everyone.  When people walk away from these performances, they realize that there’s nothing, in the year 2000, that we can’t do—as evidenced by these women who did so much with so little.”

And, who refused to fail.

Note: Except for Vernice Jackson and Sherri Tolliver (who both perform with Women in History), each of the women perform individually.  Although all a members of the National Women’s History Project, each maintains a separate ongoing calendar for their one-woman re-enactments, and fees vary.  For more information on performance availability contact:

Vernice Jackson and Sherri Tolliver, at Women in History in Ohio at: www.wihohio@juno.com or 216-228-4779,

Diedre Tyler, in Utah, at tyler@slcc.edu or 801-963-6365, and Kemba Johnson-Webb, in Illinois, at 773-287-1336.