1

DJ Piper
Erin Rice
Katie Rodriguez
Nicholas Quijano
Torri Plank
African American Theatre
Final Project
Presentation Summary
The Past is Always Present

The power of family history can be seen as one of the most prominent aspects of African

American culture. Every family has an heirloom, tradition, or story about their history that is

passed down through the generations. Some histories, although in the past, have a large effect on

the families in their present day lives. The history of African American families in the pieces The

Piano Lesson, A Raisin in the Sun, and Ti Yette play an important role in the present lives of the

characters.

In August Wilsons The Piano Lesson, the siblings rival over their family heirloom, the

piano. The piano is significant to the familys history as slaves. Berniece is extremely upset

when Boy Willie wanted to sell the piano in order to buy Sutters land. The land belonged to

their ancestors and represented a new and better future for Boy Willie and future generations. He

wanted to share the pianos so called magic with future generations that might use it more than

Berniece, who hasnt played it since her mother died. Berniece had many valid reasons for

wanting to keep the piano. The piano, carved by Willie Boy, their grandfather, contained images

of their family members throughout history. The piano is a constant physical reminder of their

past, their deceased family members, the struggles they endured as slaves, and how far they have

come. It reminds them that they have more opportunities than their ancestors and that they
 2

should embrace their lives to better their futures.

In Lorraine Hansberrys, A Raisin in the Sun, the Youngers argue over how to spend the

life insurance money they have received from their deceased father. Each family member has

their own idea and motive of how they should use the money to improve their future and enhance

their financial situation. Walter believes that he should open a liquor store; he believes that that

business will secure his family financially. Mama, on the other hand, believes that they should

buy a house. The house would represent their freedom, and stable financial situation as well as

how far they have come compared to their enslaved ancestors. The family has to deal with many

of the discriminatory parts of being a black americans. When Mr. Lindner arrives to persuade

and bribe the family not to move into the all white neighborhood where Mama bought a house,

Mama refuses and speaks about how her husband would not accept the bribe because it goes

against what he believes in. Moving into a house that they purchased, despite its location, shows

that they are holding themselves to a higher standard, avenging their ancestors, and improving

their future as a family.

The Creole tale, Ti Yette, written by John Frederick Matheus, is about a sibling

relationship. According to Matheus, Racine and Ti Yette are Creole-Quadroons living in New

Orleans in the spring of 1855. Their father was a white man and their mother was a mulattress, a

half white and half black woman. Their family, like many other black families, were

discriminated against because of their race and ethnicity. Matheus writes that Racine is

concerned with his familys history, and is afraid that his sister will lose her roots. Her actions

show that she is straying from her black heritage and family traditions because she falls in love

with a white man. At a point in the play, Ti Yette wants to change her name to Henriette.
 3

Matheus describes that Racine feels as though his sister is disrespecting her roots and he does not

want his sister to be with this man because he is white, and like many other white men at the

time, discriminates and treats African Americans poorly.

In each text, The Piano Lesson, A Raisin in the Sun, and Ti Yette, the families experience

situations in which their history plays an important role in their daily lives. Whether it be in

terms of an heirloom, tradition, or oral history, their past influenced their daily lives in some

significant way. It is important to note how important a familys past is to their future and how

they live their lives.

 4

Works Cited

A Raisin In The Sun (1961).avi. Dir. Daniel Petrie. Columbia Classics, 1961. Video.YouTube.

YouTube, 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

Fraden, Rena. (1994). A national Negro theater that never was. American Visions, 9(5),

26.Hallmark

Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. New York: Vintage, 1994. Print.

The Help. Dir. Tate Taylor. DreamWorks, 2011. DVD.

Matheus, John. Ti Yette. Huntingdon, TN: Associated Publishers, Inc, 1930. Print.

The Piano Lesson 1995 XviD DvDripEng Greenbud1969HDScene Release. Dir. Lloyd Richards.

1995. Video. YouTube. YouTube, 05 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013.

Wilson, August. The Piano Lesson. New York, N.Y., U.S.A.: Plume, 1990. Print.