Written Then, Spoken Now: Remaking the Republic
February 6, 2026
The 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States invites us to reflect on what it means to be an American citizen. Grounded in the promises of the Declaration of Independence, each generation has added new depth to that conversation, expanding and reaffirming the nation’s founding ideals. In his book, Remaking the Republic: Black Politics and the Creation of American Citizenship, historian Dr. Christopher Bonner explores how free African Americans in the nineteenth-century gave powerful meaning to citizenship through advocacy and action.
In this chapter of Written Then, Spoken Now, Ford’s Theatre will be in conversation with Dr. Christopher Bonner, Chess Jakobs, dramaturg and Dr. Quincy Mills, Director of the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities on February 6, 2026. Blended with their conversation, we will feature excerpts of the book, historical letters and newspapers, and some original texts read aloud by actors. The program will be followed by a book signing.
Experience the convergence of history and theatre, as we bring to life stories of the integral role of free Black Americans in the making of American citizenship.
Featured Guests
Christopher Bonner
Author/Historian
Chess Jakobs
Dramaturg
Quincy Mills
Historian
Christopher Bonner teaches African American history at the University of Maryland. His first book, Remaking the Republic: Black Politics and the Creation of American Citizenship, centers free Black activists in the story of U.S. legal change in the nineteenth century. In his teaching and research, Bonner is interested in struggles over power, the nature of freedom and the ways African Americans have cultivated and deployed various forms of knowledge. Originally from Chesapeake, VA, he earned his B.A. from Howard University and Ph.D. from Yale University.
Chess Jakobs, is a Black and Jewish American writer, sociologist and ecologist whose work seeks to engage storytelling as a form of historical preservation and cultural engagement. Their debut play, The American Five, had its world premier this fall at Ford’s Theatre, and their work as an actor, director and dramaturg has been seen on Broadway, Off-Broadway and regionally at theaters including Olney Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Indiana Repertory Theatre. Beginning Fall 2026, Chess will be pursuing their PhD at UMD, College Park.
Quincy Mills is Associate Professor of History, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for Graduate Education in the College of Arts and Humanities and Director of the Frederick Douglass Center for Leadership Through the Humanities at the University of Maryland, College Park. He teaches and does research on African American History. He is the author of Cutting Along the Color Line: Black Barbers and Barber Shops in America published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2013. He is currently working on his second book tentatively titled “Movement Money: Crises, Relief, and the Economy of Activism during the Civil Rights Movement.”