Theater students at The Gambia University honored slavery victims with plays on March 25, 2025. These arts students performed at Theater 2 on their Faraba Banta Campus. They acted out stories about people forced across the Atlantic Ocean as slaves.
Four special guests watched the student performances that day. Janet Badjan-Young, who creates plays and leads Ebunjan Theatre, attended the event. Lamin Jarjou came as a manager from UNESCO. Two professors, Dr. Malang Fanneh, who heads the School of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Ensa Touray, who teaches there, also joined the audience.
The day included many activities about slavery history. Janet talked about writing her slavery story, Chains of Inspiration. Dr. Fanneh analyzed plays through history. Dr. Touray explained facts about the slave trade. Students displayed books and old photographs for everyone to see.
Grace Chapman, who teaches theater, directed the student group as they performed poems about rising and hiding true feelings. They acted scenes from Chains of Inspiration and Roots. Janet reminded everyone that history shows us who we are. She described how Europeans saw Africa as full of gold, precious stones, fruit trees, fish, and rivers. They decided to take these riches and force African people to become slaves.
Four special guests watched the student performances that day. Janet Badjan-Young, who creates plays and leads Ebunjan Theatre, attended the event. Lamin Jarjou came as a manager from UNESCO. Two professors, Dr. Malang Fanneh, who heads the School of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. Ensa Touray, who teaches there, also joined the audience.
The day included many activities about slavery history. Janet talked about writing her slavery story, Chains of Inspiration. Dr. Fanneh analyzed plays through history. Dr. Touray explained facts about the slave trade. Students displayed books and old photographs for everyone to see.
Grace Chapman, who teaches theater, directed the student group as they performed poems about rising and hiding true feelings. They acted scenes from Chains of Inspiration and Roots. Janet reminded everyone that history shows us who we are. She described how Europeans saw Africa as full of gold, precious stones, fruit trees, fish, and rivers. They decided to take these riches and force African people to become slaves.
