Photos/Video: Andre De Shields in FREDERICK DOUGLASS: MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY at Flushing Town Hall

Last night, Andre De Shields performed excerpts from his solo show, "André De Shields is Frederick Douglass: Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" at Flushing Town Hall.

The event was part of Flushing Town Hall's Black History Month celebration, Black History Trilogy, a three-part virtual programming series featuring outstanding Broadway performers showcasing the music and speeches of influential African American artists, scholars, and leaders. The Trilogy kicked off with Alton Fitzgerald White in "John Lewis: A Pioneer for Justice", and concludes tonight with Lillias White in "Divine Sass: A Tribute to the Music, Life, and Legacy of Sarah Vaughan".

Frederick Douglass-who began his life as a slave, and through heroic effort, became one of America's most important and historically influential icons-delivered a keynote address at a commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 5, 1852 at Corinthian Hall in Rochester, New York. In his speech entitled "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," Douglass asked, "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?" In 1865, abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke at Flushing Town Hall on the role of African Americans in antebellum America.

The production team includes Clyde Bullard (Curator and Producer-in-Residence at Flushing Town Hall), Steven Mecca (Director Of Production), Mary Ellen Stebbins Slutskiy (Lighting Design), Mark Holst (Camera Operator), and John Gordon (Live Switching), and the anat gerstein PR firm.

The performance will be available to view through February 28. watch and check out photos from backstage and the performance.

Photo Credit: Lia Chang