Sexual

Experience an evening of powerful music as singers from the Peabody Institute's Vocal Studies Department, led by Associate Professor Carl DuPont, present a curated recital of art songs by African American composers. Blending live performance with fresh scholarly perspective, the program will explore how race, gender, sexuality, and class have shaped these works and their reception.

In antebellum America, enslaved girls were among the most vulnerable members of society due to anti-Black racism, sexism, and ageism. But Black girls and their community laid claim to childhood innocence despite enslavers' persistent efforts to adultify them. Doctoral candidate MaDeja Leverett will highlight the girlhood experiences of two specific girls, Harriet Jacobs and Louisa Picquet, as significant examples that speak to the intricacies of enslaved girls' lives.