How I Got Over - A Solo Show of My Own Design

Abstract

How I Got Over is a thesis solo show that examines my experiences as a black woman making my way through the world. It follows my journey from a little girl, to a teenager, and ends with the present, a 25 year old woman whose trauma has manifested itself in her body and is now ready to be released. This show was both a challenge and an acknowledgement of where I have been and how far I have come. Look how far I’ve come. As a black woman, we rarely get to acknowledge that we’ve been through the valley and we’ve climbed to the mountaintop. We rarely get the chance to heal or to say “no, I am not okay,” because we are expected to be these almighty, unbreakable, unshakeable beings. But we are not. Not all the time. This show was my “coming out” of sorts. It was my chance to tell the world who I was and not be ashamed for what I have been through along the way. This is my story. My journey to loving the good, overcoming the bad, and shedding the ugly to uncover something beautiful. Me. I am in the process of reclaiming who I am and this thesis was just the beginning.