Race Peace

Race Peace is a multi-generational performance project that deals with the debilitating fog of racism in an attempt to provide an opportunity for people to celebrate and explore common bonds, debate their differences, and lay the civic foundation to pursue solutions to the issues that impact their communities. Race Peace was born out of the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as a group of artist and friends with long-standing relationships struggled to address the blatant issues of race at the center of the storm.

Race Peace seeks to create a space where people from diverse backgrounds can safely and aggressively challenge the realities and myths of racisms in America, in addition to considering how art can engage people in noteworthy dialogue about challenging social issues.

Race Peace uses spoken word, music and songs, satire, physical theater, short film and dance, story circles, and sociometric exercises to engage participants in dialogue about race and racism and how they affect our interpersonal relationships. Through the process, participants can begin to craft a shared understanding of the complexities of racism, both individual and institutional.

Race Peace was started in 2008 by M.U.G.A.B.E.E. (Men Under Guidance Acting Before Early Extinction), based in Raymond, Mississippi, and Mondo Bizarro of New Orleans under the mentorship of veteran artist-activists theater companies Junebug Productions, also of New Orleans, and Roadside Theater in Norton, Virginia.