The Tara Lake Show

Welcome back to the Tara Lake show!

This is the third installment of my series on Frances E.W. Harper, which celebrates the oratory of the Nineteenth Century Philadelphian and African American poet, author, abolitionist and suffragist. It has been an honor to share this series in recognition of Harper’s amazing work, which spanned decades, crossed two centuries, and continues to impact us so meaningfully today. This series ran from the spring through the fall of 2020, and this third and final installment coincided with the occasion of America’s Election Day weekend in November, 2020. I created this series — serving as writer, editor, producer and voice performer — to illuminate the power of Harper’s language in her extraordinary, decades-long crusade for justice. Harper’s speeches provide a unique perspective into the political, social, and cultural landscape of the Nineteenth Century. Frances E.W. Harper’s steadfast commitment to truth allowed her to call out injustice and racism in ways that are rarely heard even today.

Please visit www.TaraLakeShow.com for more information.

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Thanks so much for joining me for this week’s episode of the Tara Lake show.
Today, as part of this special eight-episode season, I’m excited to share the second installment in my three part series on poet, author, and activist Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Last week, we learned a bit more about this inspiring pioneer and her role in history, and we explored some of her poetry. Harper began publishing in poetry in 1845, at the age of 20, and later became known for her fiction as well. She utilized her fiction to inspire, uplift, and educate audiences — and to dramatize the social issues that motivated her work and activism. Frances E.W. Harper lived and worked in Philadelphia for decades in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century, and I produced this project for Philadelphia radio audiences. As producer, writer, editor, voice performer, I added elements of audio theatre to this production. We are truly fortunate to have Frances E. W. Harper’s work with us today. More than 130 years on, Harper’s serialized novels speak powerfully to the present.

Please visit www.TaraLakeShow.com for more information.

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