Abena Joan P. Brown (Finding Aid)

Abena Joan P. Brown

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Food: Green beans

Favorite Time of Year: Autumn

Favorite Vacation Spot: Ghana

Interview Length: 76 minutes

Interview Date(s): February 1, 2000

Interview Location(s): ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Inc., 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL, ETA Creative Arts Foundation, Inc. 7558 S. South Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL

Abstract

Abena Brown talks about her neighborhood and her cultural awareness while growing up on the South Side of Chicago. She then recalls why she was sent to a Catholic boarding school after her mother discovered she was being truant. Brown then talks about her mother's strong personality and their relationship during her teenage years. She later talks about her early interest in dance and the arts, and shares her story about meeting Paul Robeson. Abena Brown recalls the social clubs of her teens and discusses their importance in the socialization of young men and women. She then reflects on her experience as an undergraduate in college and details her first encounter with racial discrimination while there. Lastly, she discusses her decision to attend the University of Chicago for her graduate study. Abena Brown talks about her experiences at the University of Chicago and what she learned there. She then recalls her early acting experiences and her local participation in the Civil Rights Movement. Brown then talks about the origins of the ETA Creative Arts Foundation and the people who helped her in its early development stages. She then talks about the similarities between New York and Chicago theater in relation to the Black Arts Movement, and explains why she prefers Chicago's theater scene. Brown also discusses the current financial state of black theater companies, especially the older established companies on the East Coast. She then talks about the economic impact of the age demographic on the overall theater scene. Abena Brown then shares the story of how author Dempsey Travis helped her secure ETA's present home on the South Side. Lastly she talks about her staff and the success stories of actors who as children attended ETA's programs. Abena Brown details extensively the future plans of the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. She then talks about her legacy and the hope that ETA will live on well after she is gone. Brown shares the story of how she made her first trip to Africa in 1970, and how she no longer questions her identity after visiting there. Lastly, Abena Brown talks about her mother's death, her purpose in life, and the influence the African peoples have on the arts, globally.

23 Stories (See Ordered Story Set)