Anna Deavere Smith: Addressing the ghosts of our past with empathy and understanding to forge a path toward a more equitable future.

Into the Magic Shop

In this episode of the "Into the Magic Shop,” Dr. Jim Doty reconnects with actress, playwright and professor, Anna Deavere Smith, to discuss her personal journey, from her education in a segregated Baltimore to her initial aspirations of becoming a psychiatrist to her work as a playwright and actress. They discuss her plays "Notes from the Field" which sheds light on the school-to-prison pipeline as well as “The Ghost of Slavery," which stemmed from her discovery that her home state of Maryland did not secede from the Union. The play explores the historical injustice of a Maryland apprenticeship law that re-enslaved children, under the guise of vocational training, until they reached adulthood. Their conversation covers the need for visual evidence to awaken us to injustices, the challenges faced by women and people of color in expressing emotions professionally, and the societal pressure to conform to certain standards. The episode highlights the theme of resilience and the impact of societal narratives on individual happiness and authenticity.