Tag Archives: Dr. Barbara Ann Teer

Dr. Barbara Ann Teer

“You cannot have a theater without ideology, without a base from which all of the forms must emanate, and call it Black, for it will be the same as Western theater, conventional theater, safe theater,” Dr. Barbara Ann Teer once said. There was never anything conventional or safe about her National Black Theatre or the way she led her adventurous life. That journey on this plane came to an end on Monday as she made her peaceful transition from her home in Harlem.

She was 71. “Dr. Teer was a great lady of the theater and, most of all, our village of Harlem,” said Councilwoman Inez Dickens. “Her vision and tireless dedication to the preservation and the growth of Black culture helped make Harlem internationally known as the Black arts capital of the world.” Dickens said she was a “samurai warrior,” and someone you could call on in times of need. “She always had my back,” the councilwoman added. Dickens’ back wasn’t the only one Teer watched like a sentinel, making sure Black culture in general—and Black theater specifically—was on solid ground and in a space to grow and nurture the next generation. Continue reading →