Jedidiah Blackstone: Storyteller. Poet. Hip-Hop Historian

When I was younger, I read a book by a renowned Civil War historian. I remember thinking John Brown was an outright crazy man—at least, that’s how he was described in the book. Now, 166 years later, his deep devotion as an abolitionist is finally recognized through a different lens.

The way Brown’s legacy was distorted then echoes the way history is being manipulated now. The current administration is seeking to sanitize the nation’s past by erasing stories of struggle, resilience, and resistance.

It took 150 years after the 13th Amendment to open the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. That was more than 50 years after the end of Jim Crow and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. And now, in Project 2025’s America, even these hard-won rights are under attack.

Jeff Campbell proves that no one person can resist alone, but that each act we take makes a difference.

Jedidiah Blackstone is a different kind of performance—part history lesson, part poetry, part storytelling, and part hip-hop. It defies the boundaries of a traditional play, blending poetry, storytelling, song, and dance into something unforgettable.

It features an all-star cast: Jeff Campbell, playing one part as himself, but through the persona of Jedidiah Blackstone; the indomitable Erica Brown, whose pipes sent chills down my spine; joined by her daughter, Merrian Johnson, herself a commanding singer; and dance performances by DeAndre Carroll, and Jared Hill, with DJ Musa mixing the sound. Shayla Micole directs the production, and Joseph Graves Jr. created the set design.

Billed as The Dark Side of The West, we learn the stories of remarkable Black pioneers from Colorado, Clara Brown—who the administration is currently trying to erase from the National Museum of African American History and Culture—along with Jeremiah Lee, Lorenzo Bowman, and Ramblin’ Roy.

These are more than characters in a performance—they are real people from American history who rose up against all odds, including slavery, and embodied Black excellence long before the phrase existed.

Jeff Campbell, Emancipation Theater, Jedidiah Blackstone

There are only eight more shows, with the run ending on October 5, 2025. Tickets are $30, and every purchase supports Black arts.

But you’re also learning the real history of our state and country. This matters to all of us, no matter the shade of our skin. The soul of the United States is at a crossroads: do we return to the brutality of the past, or continue the fight for liberation for all?

History lives not just on stage but in our public spaces. Earlier this year, Clara Brown’s highway marker in Gilpin County was taken down—a plaque that, even in its original form, reduced her freedom to a metaphor about striking gold. Today, a petition calls for its return, with words that finally reflect her real legacy. Add your name here, but first go get your tickets. There are only eight performances left, counting tonight.