Black Nativity Boston

10/23/2026

In 1961, Broadway made a quiet decision about how the infant Christ could be depicted in “Black Nativity.” Boston made a very different one, and has stood by it for 56 years. ✨

Come hear the rest of the story next Friday, October 30th. In celebration of the 56th season of Black Nativity, the National Center of Afro-American Artists presents Christmas in Black: The Enduring Legacy of Langston Hughes’s “Black Nativity,” a free evening of conversation, poetry and song.

You’ll hear about Langston Hughes’s surprising ties to a Roxbury family, Elma Lewis’s vision for a tradition shared across generations, and why Boston’s choices on stage still matter.

🎤 Featuring
Wallace Best, Ph.D., Princeton University, author of Langston’s Salvation: American Religion and the Bard of Harlem, whose chapter “Christmas in Black” gives the evening its name

Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon, Ph.D., Wesleyan University, author of The Black Circuit: Race, Performance, and Spectatorship in Black Popular Theatre

Judge Milton L. Wright, Jr., a member of the Black Nativity cast for 42 years

Moderated by Amanda Shea, Emmy-nominated, three-time Boston Music Award–winning spoken word artist

🎶 The program includes young performers reciting Hughes’s poetry and music from the Voices of Black Persuasion choir.

Bring your questions, stories and memories of Black Nativity in Boston, or share them in the comments now! 💛

📅 Friday, October 30 | 6 to 8 PM
📍 Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center, 1234 Columbus Ave., Boston
💻 Livestreamed on HowlRound.com

Admission is free, but seats are limited. RSVP now 👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-in-black-the-enduring-legacy-of-langston-hughess-black-nativity-tickets-2003440986923?aff=ebdsoporgprofile&fbclid=IwY2xjawVHnYNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBwZG9mAXNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7OU_KVkSZvRZwaT-wwxx2HTa8s5jEDIzBqBNi0Wnd5Nw2gqRmcI0CsVUaU9A_aem_h0aHFOU6qUrIMICoIbwx6g

Presented in partnership with Community College and Theatre Commons. Thank you to for helping spread the word!

*Offer expires November 14, 2026

10/15/2026

In 1961, Broadway made a quiet decision about how the infant Christ could be depicted in “Black Nativity.” Boston made a very different one, and has stood by it for 56 years. ✨

Come hear the rest of the story. 🎄 Christmas in Black: The Enduring Legacy of Langston Hughes’s “Black Nativity” is a free evening of conversation, poetry and gospel song from the Voices of Black Persuasion choir. It features scholars Wallace Best (Princeton) and Rashida Z. Shaw McMahon (Wesleyan), and Judge Milton L. Wright Jr., a 42-year member of the Black Nativity cast. Amanda Shea moderates.

📅 Friday, October 30, 6-8 PM
📍 Roxbury Community College Media Arts Center, 1234 Columbus Ave., Boston

It’s free, but seats are limited. RSVP now 👉 Eventbrite link below

Tag someone who grew up with Black Nativity, or someone who needs to see it for the first time. 💛

A free evening of conversation, gospel song & poetry uncovering the surprising Boston story behind Langston Hughes’s Black Nativity.

10/08/2026

"It’s not just a production, it’s an experience.”

BLACK NATIVITY BY LANGSTON HUGHES
Directed by Desiree A. Springer

December 4-20, 2026

Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY
$56-$100
Official Box Office
Emersontheatres.org
617-824-8400

The Most Joyous Holiday Tradition in Boston Returns!

Fun for families, friends, organizations and colleagues—Group rates start at only 4 persons!

Visit our website for other Special Offers
WWW.BLACKNATIVITY.ORG

10/08/2026

We are very happy to be working with JGJ Designs as our Featured Graphic Design Artist for our 2026 production! The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) is committed to uplifting the work of local artists and creatives. It has been a joy working with JGJ Designs as we celebrate 56 years of Boston's most joyous holiday tradition!

10/04/2026

Boston's favorite holiday tradition returns!--December 4-20

Tickets on Sale Now!

BLACK NATIVITY BY LANGSTON HUGHES
Directed by Desiree A. Springer
Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111

“There’s no more joyous or moving celebration of the season in Boston than this annual retelling of the Christmas story via Langston Hughes’s ‘gospel song-play.’”—Boston Globe

An evening of theater that families, friends, organizations and colleagues will enjoy!

Group rates start at only 4 persons!

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY
$56-$100
Official Box Office
Emersontheatres.org
617-824-8400

Visit our website for other Special Offers
WWW.BLACKNATIVITY.ORG

09/30/2026

Join our mailing list to unlock a special offer to Black Nativity during our ticket Presale, until October 3rd.

Sign up at: https://bit.ly/3VjZQZE

Black Nativity by Langston Hughes
Dec. 4-20, 2026
Emerson Paramount Center
Boston, MA

Tickets: $56-$100

Official Box Office
Emersontheatres.org
617-824-8400

ABOUT BLACK NATIVITY:
The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) proudly presents the 56th anniversary season of Black Nativity by Langston Hughes. This holiday tradition is a vibrant retelling of the Christmas story set to gospel music, jazz, African drumming, spoken word, theater and dance.

This is the Nativity story told through the lens of the African American experience, but its message belongs to everyone who has ever needed hope, ever sought home, ever dreamed of a world that lifts us all toward a greater appreciation of our shared humanity.

WWW.BLACKNATIVITY.ORG

09/23/2026

NOW CASTING: Singers of all ages within the following vocal range:

Choral Ensemble:
Sopranos | Contraltos | Altos Baritones Basses | Tenors
(First and Second or High Baritone Tenors)

Soloists:
Lyric and dramatic Sopranos Contraltos
Experienced Bass and Baritones

Please join us for an instructive, fun filled and concise audition for The National Center of Afro-American Artists’ 56th season of Black Nativity by Langston Hughes.

Sat., Sept. 26th 1:00-5:00 PM
Tue., Sept. 29th 5:30-8:30 PM.

St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church,
517 Blue Hill Avenue, Dorchester, 02121

Register at: bit.ly/BN26AUDITIONS

All singers will be asked to come prepared with one song, no longer than 2.5 minutes, that will be sung a ca****la.

ABOUT BLACK NATIVITY:
The National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) proudly presents the 56th season of Langston Hughes’ classic gospel song cycle, Black Nativity. A holiday tradition throughout the United States and the world, Black Nativity welcomes all people, far and wide, into our circle of light. This is the Nativity story told through the lens of the African American experience, but its message belongs to everyone who has ever needed hope, ever sought home, ever dreamed of a world that lifts us all toward a greater appreciation of our shared humanity.

Performances:
December 4-20, 2026
Emerson Paramount Theatre
Downtown Boston

08/28/2026

In Loving Memory of Denise Washington,

The National Center of Afro-American Artists joins Denise Washington's family, friends, and the wider Boston arts community in celebrating a life devoted to art, culture, and service. Denise was, in every sense, one of our own: a student of the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts, a lifelong member of the Black Nativity family, and a dedicated contributor to our annual Juneteenth program.

Denise's journey with the National Center of Afro-American Artists began in childhood, as a student at the Elma Lewis School of Fine Arts. She trained under the vision of our founder, Elma Lewis, and discovered the artistic gifts that would shape the rest of her life. It was there that she first took the stage in Black Nativity, the Center's beloved annual production, as a child performer.

That early experience blossomed into a lifetime of service to Black Nativity and to this institution. Over the decades, Denise moved fluidly between the stage and behind the scenes. She often took on roles that reflected both her artistry and her reliability: backstage support, Assistant to the Producer under Mr. John Andrew Ross and Dr. Elma Lewis, Assistant to the Stage Manager, and Assistant to Executive Director Ms. Voncille Ross. Few members of our extended family gave so much, for so long, in so many capacities.

The artistic foundation she built at the Elma Lewis School carried Denise far beyond Boston. In pursuit of her creative dreams, she spent time in California, working as a production coordinator on the HBO show "Arliss" and other television productions in Hollywood. Yet her heart never strayed far from home, and she returned to Boston to continue building the community that had shaped her.

Denise's commitment to community extended well beyond the Black Nativity stage. As a member of the Juneteenth Committee, she helped shape and sustain the Boston Juneteenth Committee and the National Center of Afro-American Artists' annual Juneteenth program. She contributed her time and talents to ensure that this vital celebration of freedom, history, and culture continued to serve and inspire our community year after year.

The values Denise absorbed at the Elma Lewis School, that art is inseparable from community, and that culture is something built together, carried through everything she did beyond our walls as well, as a playwright and published poet, as the founder of the Pop-Up Poetry Series, and as a devoted teacher in the Boston Public Schools. In every room she entered, Denise brought the same spirit she brought to Black Nativity and to Juneteenth, including generosity, discipline, and an unshakable belief in the power of community.

The National Center of Afro-American Artists extends its deepest condolences to Denise's family and loved ones. Her decades of dedication to our mission, as a student, performer, staff member, and community builder, leave a lasting mark on this institution and on everyone who had the privilege of working beside her. We hold her in our hearts as we carry her legacy of art and community forward.

12/19/2025

Don’t miss Black Nativity by Langston Hughes
NOW PLAYING THRU DEC 21st!

This is the weekend of sold out performances. Sunday’s show is almost sold out. Friday and Saturday shows are also moving fast.

Tickets: $55-$100

Get your tickets today and experience the Black Nativity joy of the season!

WWW.BLACKNATIVITY.ORG

Produced by The National Center of Afro-American Artists.

12/18/2025

NOW PLAYING THRU DEC 21st!

Hey Black Nativity fam! 😁 we will be having our African Night this Saturday December 20th! Come dressed in your African garb 🙌🏾 don’t miss out on being in community and seeing the show with a whole new look 👀 Grab your tickets now at Blacknativity.org