NINA SIMONE

American singer, songwriter, musical arranger and civil rights activist

Dramaturgical Research by Elaine Stoughton Cox

Photo of Nina Simone wearing a dark top with long dangly earrings, looking up and to the left.

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933–April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, musician, arranger and civil rights activist. Her music spanned a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel and pop.

The sixth of eight children born to a poor family in Tryon, North Carolina, Simone initially aspired to be a concert pianist. With the help of a few supporters in her hometown, she enrolled in the Juilliard School of Music in New York City. She then applied for a scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she was denied admission despite a well-received audition, which she attributed to racism (note that out of the 72 applicants in 1950, only 3 were accepted). In 2003, just days before her death, the Institute awarded her an honorary degree.

For an extensive bio and timeline: https://www.ninasimone.com/

Nina Simone as an Activist

Simone was close friends with Black playwright Lorraine Hansberry. Simone stated that during her conversations with Hansberry, “We never talked about men or clothes. It was always Marx, Lenin and revolution– real girls’ talk.” The influence of Hansberry planted the seed for the provocative social commentary that became the standard of Simone’s repertoire. One of Nina’s more hopeful activism anthems, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black,” was written with collaborator Weldon Irvine in the years following the playwright’s passing, acquiring the title of one of Hansberry’s unpublished plays. Simone was also friends with notable leftists such as James Baldwin, Stokely Carmichael and Langston Hughes: the lyrics of her song “Backlash Blues” were written by the latter.

Read more: “The Radical Politics of Nina Simone”

The United States In 1963

This is a collage of images including Martin Luther King, Jr. giving a speech in front of a crowd, images from a March for Civil Rights in the 1960s, and John F. Kennedy giving a speech.

58 years ago, much of the news in the United States was dominated by the actions of Civil Rights Activists and those who opposed them. America’s role in Vietnam was steadily growing, along with the costs of that involvement. The Beatles were steadily rising in popularity, and President John F. Kennedy traveled to West Berlin to deliver his famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. For the first time, the push-button was introduced. In 1963, the population of the world was 3.2 billion, less than half of what it is today. The final months of 1963 were punctuated by one of the most tragic events in American history, the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas.

Major Events In The United States In 1963

  • January 14–George Wallace is sworn in as governor of Alabama. In his inaugural speech he proclaims, “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.”
  • February 19–Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique is released, slowly reawakening the Women’s Movement.
  • April 16–Martin Luther King Jr. writes his Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
  • June 11–JFK delivers a historic Civil Rights Address, in which he promises a Civil Rights Bill, and asks for “the kind of equality treatment that we would want for ourselves.”
  • June 12–Medgar Evans is assassinated in Mississippi.
  • August 28–Martin Luther King Jr. gives his “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Monument to at least 250,000 people.
  • October 8–Sam Cooke and his band are arrested after trying to register at a “whites only” motel in Louisiana. In the months following, he recorded “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
  • November 22–President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas.
  • November 22–President John F. Kennedy is assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas.

September 15, 1963: The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing

The four victims: Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Addie Mae Collins and Cynthia Wesley

“…one of the most vicious and tragic crimes ever perpetrated against humanity” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Throughout the Civil Rights Movement, Birmingham, Alabama was a major site of protests, marches and sit-ins that were often met with police brutality and violence from white citizens. In fact, homemade bombs planted in homes and churches became so commonplace that the city was offhandedly known as “Bombingham.” Between 1947 and 1965, white supremacists planted more than 50 devices targeting Black churches, Black leaders, Jews and Catholics.

Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, the 16th Street Baptist Church hosted many meetings led by Civil Rights activists and other notable individuals like W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Berthune, Paul Robeson and Ralph Bunche. In an effort to intimidate demonstrators, white supremacist members of the KKK routinely telephoned the church with bomb threats intended to disrupt these meetings, as well as regular church services.

An image of the destruction of the church after the bombing, there is debris scattered everywhere

A note of importance—violence on Black churches was not exclusive to the Civil Rights Era. The unthinkable horror of September 15, 1963 followed a long history of terrorism against Black houses of worship—a history as old as the United States. At approximately 10:22am, on Sunday, September 15, 1963, an anonymous man phoned the 16th Street Baptist Church. The call was answered by the church secretary Carolyn Maull. The anonymous caller simply said the words, “three minutes” to Maull before terminating the call. A few moments later, a bomb made of 19 sticks (some reports say “at least 15 sticks”) of dynamite detonated. They had been planted under the church steps the night before.

The bomb exploded on the east side of the building, where five young girls were getting ready for church in a basement restroom. The explosion sprayed mortar and bricks from the front of the building, caved in walls and filled the interior with smoke. Horrified parishioners quickly evacuated. It destroyed cars on the street outside and blew out glass windows nearly 100 feet away.

An image of the stained glass window after the bombing, there are noticeable chunks missing from the window, including the face of Jesus

Beneath piles of debris in the church basement, the bodies of four girls were found. They were Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson, all age 14, and Denise McNair, age 11. A fifth girl who had been with them, Sarah Collins (the younger sister of Addie Mae Collins), lost her right eye in the explosion. Dozens of other people were injured (reports are unclear, but most say at least 20).

In the aftermath, violence escalated in Birmingham and across the country. Sadly, two more Black children were murdered that same night, as Birmingham rocked on the edge of white anarchy. A policeman killed Johnny Robinson, 16, with a bullet to the back, and two white teenagers shot and killed bicyclist Virgil Ware, 13. Several Black-owned businesses were fire-bombed. In response to the church bombing, described by the Mayor of Birmingham, as “just sickening.” The Attorney General dispatched 25 FBI agents, including explosives experts, to Birmingham to conduct a thorough forensic investigation. Many Civil Rights activists blamed George Wallace, Governor of Alabama and an outspoken segregationist, for creating the climate that had led to the killings. One week before the bombing, Wallace granted an interview with The New York Times, in which he said he believed Alabama needed a “few first-class funerals” to stop racial integration.

The city of Birmingham initially offered a $52,000 reward for the arrest of the bombers. Governor Wallace offered an additional $5,000 on behalf of the state of Alabama. Although this donation was accepted, Martin Luther King Jr. sent him a message stating, “The blood of four little children…is on your hands. Your irresponsible and misguided actions have created in Birmingham and Alabama the atmosphere that has induced continued violence and now murder.”

So, who did it?

There was little doubt as to who was behind the violence. A local Ku Klux Klan chapter, Klavern 13 was notorious for its acts of violence and terror. Nearly 50 explosives had been planted or tossed in racially motivated attacks over the previous 15 years. Most of the violence was against Black families that dared to move west of Center St., the city’s longstanding color line, or the white families that sold to them. As early as 1964, three men were identified by the FBI for their role in the bombing: Thomas Blanton, Jr. Bobby Cherry, and Robert “Dynamite Bob” Chambliss.

On May 13, 1965, a memorandum to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover concluded that “the bombing was the handiwork of former Klansmen Robert E. Chambliss, Bobby Frank Cherry, Herman Frank Cash and Thomas E. Blanton, Jr.” FBI informants in the KKK said the four men went to the church that night to plant the bomb. Yet justice for the crime was a long time coming. No one was tried or jailed for the church bombing until 1977, when Robert Chambliss was tried and convicted. (He died in prison in 1985). Meaningful prosecution was prevented at many levels of local and federal government—all the way up to FBI Director Hoover. In 2000, Thomas Blanton and Bobby Cherry turned themselves in.

Recommended documentaries about Nina Simone and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing:

What Happened, Miss Simone?

4 Little Girls

Summer of Soul

Now Playing at The Unicorn Theatre: 

Nina Simone: Four Women

by Christina Ham

directed and choreographed by Gerry McIntyre
music direction by Danté Harrell
scenic design by Randall Parsons
costume design by Sarafina Bush
lighting design by Matthew E. Adelson
sound design by Kaique DeSouza
stage-managed by Jason Weixelman

Previews: Friday, August 13 at 7pm
Press Night/Opening: Saturday, August 14 at 7pm
Closing: Sunday, September 5 at 2pm
Tickets: Preview: $50
Tickets: $75

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for this performance. Masks are mandatory for all patrons regardless of age (unless eating or drinking in specified areas).

Plan Your Visit

Read our suggestions on where to dine, and where to hang your hat.

Get Started
Did You Know?
Just like NPR, Berkshire Theatre Group depends on the generous giving of its members!
Join Today!
We believe the performing arts can transform a community.
Learn More
Of the 16,000 Berkshire County school children, we serve 13,000 through our BTG PLAYS! Year-Round Educational Programs.
Learn More
Theatre is the place where we go to understand what lies in the human heart.
About Us
BTG's buildings, on two campuses in Stockbridge and Pittsfield, are historic treasures.
Theatre Info
Berkshire Theatre Group believes that the creative arts encourage freedom of speech and debate.
Get Involved
"Out of need will come the way. Once the pandemic ebbs, whenever that is, there will be an incredible need to gather again." - Artistic Director, Kate Maguire
Join Today!
The theatre has existed from the time of the Greeks. We will go on.
Learn More
Join Our Mailing List

Receive the latest BTG News, Updates, Special Offers, and more right to your inbox.

Subscribe

News & Articles

From the Archive: Eva LeGallienne

By: Katie Birenboim (She/Her/Hers)   Devoted fans of BTG may gasp to discover that until doing a first round of research in the amazing BTG archives, I had never heard … Read On

Our very own Allison Rachelle Bayles will be one of the awesome women honored at Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires! Allison is the Director of Education here at BTG and we can’t wait to honor her during this celebration! 

https://buff.ly/3ldCPGe
The Secret Garden: Spring Version, is a new adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway musical abridged for younger audiences in an enhanced concert-style production that is as beautiful and spirited as the original.
This enchanting classic of children’s literature of hope and perseverance is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Marsha Norman. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his disabled son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the “Dreamers,” spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden‘s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal. Join us July 29 and 30 for this beautiful story.
Two-time Tony Award nominated actor, Kate Baldwin, joins the cast of “What the Constitution Means to Me!” This boundary-breaking play breathes new life into the Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans.
Kristen van Ginhoven, who will direct this co-production with WAM Theatre, connected to the play as an activist and as a former speech and debate coach for the International High School in Brussels, Belgium. “As an artist, activist, and human, I find myself yearning for more collaboration, accountability, and engagement.” van Ginhoven explained, “This play answers that call with humor, intelligence and poignancy. I look forward to using my past experience as a
speech and debate coach while having the privilege and joy of directing this co-production.”
It’s National Women’s Day! To celebrate we are going to share a little about our upcoming event, “Song and Dance! A Celebration of Women of the Berkshires!” The Berkshires serve as home to a number of women artists and women behind the scenes who are making a positive difference in our area, and celebrated musician Wanda Houston is looking forward to shining a spotlight on some of them. Houston spearheads a concert that will simultaneously pay tribute and entertain, fulfilling one of her own personal dreams. "For the last five years, I've thought about doing this show," recently explained Houston. "I wanted to find a way to celebrate women who work so hard to make the Berkshires a better place for us all." Highlights of the concert promise to be Wanda Houston singing "You make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman," a brief monologue about Elizabeth Freeman spoken live with choreographed movement, the full cast opening the show together, and much, much, more. 
Join us March 24 for this celebration of amazing women! 
.
link in bio!
We are getting excited for our St. Patrick’s Day festivities here at BTG! The Young Dubliners, an American rock band who have been recording albums and touring since 1993 and whose style of music has come to be called Celtic Rock for the fusion of Irish traditional music with modern rock ‘n’ roll! They will be joined by Kilashandra, an award-winning Albany, NY–based band. They began meeting in fall 2021 as a group of friends getting together to play Celtic music in pubs and at regional Irish Festivals. Get your tickets now and join us for this awesome concert!
☀We announced our full summer season! We have some amazing shows coming up at BTG and we can’t wait for you to be a part of it! Follow the link in our bio to grab your tickets now!☀
UPDATE! Children's Auditions have been postponed to tomorrow night, March 1. Families that have registered should check their emails for more details. Thank you!
This is going to be SUCH a fun time! Twenty random volunteers from the audience will be put under hypnosis, their inhibitions evaporated and their minds no longer their own. The contestants will be methodically and hysterically whittled down until the five best are left on stage when one of the world’s leading improvisers enters! Colin Mochrie will take the stage to improvise with the top five while they are still under hypnosis, which will turn the show into an improv extravaganza! This show is March 25 and tickets are on sale now!
.
link in bio!
The band is joyous, and their stage is full of smiles and laughter, both during and between songs. Max Creek is engaging, sculpting lengthy shows on-the-fly from their 200+ song catalog with rockers, ballads, deep jams and crowd sing-alongs. Furthermore, Creek is, most definitely, a family. 40-odd years in, the audience is a multi-generational stew—it’s not uncommon to witness old-school “Creek Freeks” getting down with their teenage (or older!) kids. Grab your tickets for April 7 now!
The Togetherness Project was created with the aim of building bridges through the power of art between teens and young adults in the Arts in Recovery for Youth (AIRY) Program and local residents in need of support. The Project involved AIRY members visiting and making art in Pittsfield with women Veterans at Soldier On, women and children survivors of domestic abuse at Elizabeth Freeman Center, and adolescents of color in the R.O.P.E. program (Rites of Passage and Empowerment). Artworks include drip pour paintings, Satori circles, watercolor triptychs and symbolic self portrait paintings.
Artwork will be on view March 10 through April 6 with an opening reception on Tuesday March 14 from 4 to 6 pm.
We recognize that Ukraine has been fighting for democracy for one year today. We hope for a better year ahead.  Our hearts are heavy for all souls lost.
May Miller was an award-winning playwright, poet, and professor who first came to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance. Miller was the most published female playwright of the Harlem Renaissance and had nine of her twenty plays selected for publication during the height of her playwriting career. Miller helped establish the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, serving as Chair of the Literature Panel for the Commission’s first three terms. From her retirement from teaching in 1943 until her death in 1995, Miller dedicated herself to writing poetry, publishing nine books of poems, and one edition of collected works.
This Saturday at 7:30 we've got "Tapestry, The Carole King Songbook" starring Suzanne O Davis. She'll be playing all of your favorite songs live on stage!
.
link in bio!
Highlighting Berkshire women in the Arts, this show features performances by Gina Coleman, Olga Dunn Dance Co., Wanda Houston, Mary Ann Palermo and The All-Star Women’s Band, along with more of our extraordinary region’s unsung female heroes in the art, business, social and medical communities. Join us March 24 at 7:30pm for an evening of celebrating women of the Berkshires!
.
link in bio!
This Saint Patrick’s Day we will be feeling extra lucky! We’ve got The Young Dubliners with special guest Kilashandra and Scoil Rince Bréifne Ó Ruairc, the Irish Dance Team from right here in Pittsfield! The dancers will be performing before the show in The Garage from 6:30pm to 7:20pm!
We all need a good laugh, am I right? This show will do the trick! Grab your tickets now for the Ivy League of Comedy Tour on March 3rd.
.
link in bio!
Zora Neale Hurston was an American author and filmmaker. Her works focused on the struggles of being an African American woman and her writings went unrecognized for decades. She passed away in 1960 but between 2001 and 2018 she had 3 of her works released.
BTG has two audition opportunities coming up! Find out more through the link in our bio! 🤩
Angelina Weld Grimké was a poet, dramatist, radical feminist and lesbian icon. She was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1880 and raised in a biracial family with a considerable history of social activism. She is widely considered to be the first woman of color to have a play professionally produced in the United States. Since her death, Grimké has been acknowledged as a founder of the Harlem Renaissance.
. 
#celebrateblackhistory
Follow Us