Welcome to Adventures in Story Village

  • Sign In

  • My Account
  • Signed in as:

  • filler@godaddy.com


  • My Account
  • Sign out

  • WELCOME
  • PROGRAMS
    • Thee STORYTELLER
    • AUNTI ONI
    • ANANSI TIME
    • HEY AESOP!
    • STORY VILLAGE LIVE
    • HARRIET TUBMAN
    • GIRL FRIENDS!
    • MAMA EARTH
    • GRANNY GOOSE
    • I DREAMT, MLK JR
    • SISTER WINGS POETRY
  • PAUL L. DUNBAR
    • ABOUT DUNBAR
    • LOVE OF DUNBAR
    • 'LIAS' MOTHER
    • ALWAYS FREE
  • LOL 4 REAL!
  • PODCASTS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • PERFORMANCE POET
    • POET
    • BOOKS, VIDEOS & MORE
  • APPEARANCES
  • INTERVIEWS
  • APPLAUSE
  • ABOUT ONI
  • More
    • WELCOME
    • PROGRAMS
      • Thee STORYTELLER
      • AUNTI ONI
      • ANANSI TIME
      • HEY AESOP!
      • STORY VILLAGE LIVE
      • HARRIET TUBMAN
      • GIRL FRIENDS!
      • MAMA EARTH
      • GRANNY GOOSE
      • I DREAMT, MLK JR
      • SISTER WINGS POETRY
    • PAUL L. DUNBAR
      • ABOUT DUNBAR
      • LOVE OF DUNBAR
      • 'LIAS' MOTHER
      • ALWAYS FREE
    • LOL 4 REAL!
    • PODCASTS
    • WORKSHOPS
    • PERFORMANCE POET
      • POET
      • BOOKS, VIDEOS & MORE
    • APPEARANCES
    • INTERVIEWS
    • APPLAUSE
    • ABOUT ONI

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

  • WELCOME
  • PROGRAMS
    • Thee STORYTELLER
    • AUNTI ONI
    • ANANSI TIME
    • HEY AESOP!
    • STORY VILLAGE LIVE
    • HARRIET TUBMAN
    • GIRL FRIENDS!
    • MAMA EARTH
    • GRANNY GOOSE
    • I DREAMT, MLK JR
    • SISTER WINGS POETRY
  • PAUL L. DUNBAR
    • ABOUT DUNBAR
    • LOVE OF DUNBAR
    • 'LIAS' MOTHER
    • ALWAYS FREE
  • LOL 4 REAL!
  • PODCASTS
  • WORKSHOPS
  • PERFORMANCE POET
    • POET
    • BOOKS, VIDEOS & MORE
  • APPEARANCES
  • INTERVIEWS
  • APPLAUSE
  • ABOUT ONI

Account


  • My Account
  • Sign out


  • Sign In
  • My Account

Always Free! A Juneteenth Celebration

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

Texas, June 19, 1865 was when the US government announced the end of  slavery in the confederate south in a place called America.

"ALWAYS FREE" is a somber yet joyful celebration for ex-enslaved Africans. 


In the 1930's, 100,000 former enslaved Africans were still alive and interviewed for the Federal Writers Project.(Later renamed WPA)

Alwa

Texas, June 19, 1865 was when the US government announced the end of  slavery in the confederate south in a place called America.

"ALWAYS FREE" is a somber yet joyful celebration for ex-enslaved Africans. 


In the 1930's, 100,000 former enslaved Africans were still alive and interviewed for the Federal Writers Project.(Later renamed WPA)

Always, Free is a powerful intimate journey in American, African American and Civil War History.


American Living History

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

Oni Lasana as Mary Ella Grandberry is on a book tour telling of her painful and jubilant experiences before and after Juneteenth. 


 Paul Laurence Dunbar's conversational southern dialect prose is connected to the narratives of several enslaved African woman's true experiences before and after Juneteenth. 







With Ruby Dee, Harlem, NY

Oni as Mary Ella Grandberry

With Ruby Dee, Harlem, NY

The iconic actress, and civil rights activist RUBY DEE was one of the actors who spoke the account of Katie Rowe in  "UNCHAINED MEMORIES by HBO documentaries in association with the Library of Congress in 2003.

 Always Free highlights the value of education and the power of a people who survived the holocaust of American slavery.


Advertisement Statement

Oni Lasana as Mary Ella Grandberry tells personal stories of life before, and celebrates life after the Civil War. Authentic narratives of enslaved African women. Featuring the spoken words of Paul Laurence Dunbar, music of Sweet Honey In The Rock , Taj Mahal and Jay Unger. 

mercer museum, pennsylvania

When Dey 'Listed Colored Soldiers by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Music: Ashokan Farewell by Jay Unger 

(c) Swinging Door Music. Used by permission. All Rights Reserved. 


Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Heroes & Shero's of The Underground Railroad

Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Juneteenth Celebration, Reading, Pennsylvania

Slavery....the backbone of America... 'lest we forget.

Juneteenth Celebration, Reading, Pennsylvania

Kennett Square, pa - juneteenth celebration 2019

An Ante-Bellum Sermon 

Join the adventure of Dunbar!

    Experience Paul Laurence Dunbar!

    You are invited to our free meetup on zoom! 

    Register here

    A JUNETEENTH STORY : Listen to episode 12

    Oni's Diary ~ Muse : considering something thoughtfully

    American History is year round. Experience. Always Free, a Juneteenth Celebration

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    Theater ~ Storytelling ~ Language Arts ~ Music ~ History ~ Wellness

    Message Oni on WhatsApp

    "If unique is what you seek"

    OniLasana@gmail.com


     © 2023 Oni Lasana Productions

    All Rights Reserved


        

    • Thee STORYTELLER
    • AUNTI ONI
    • STORY VILLAGE LIVE
    • HARRIET TUBMAN
    • LOVE OF DUNBAR
    • LOL 4 REAL!
    • PODCASTS
    • WORKSHOPS
    • APPEARANCES
    • INTERVIEWS
    • APPLAUSE
    • ABOUT ONI

    ~ THANKS FOR VISITING ~