A highly intelligent woman, Lisa’s monologue shows us that the devil is in the details when it comes to the experiences that Black women are forced to have in a country that allows us to make very few mistakes.
Her story is familiar to most Black women and you will be enthralled as she takes you step-by-step thru her poverty experience.
We hope you’ll come out to hear Lisa’s monologue. Click here to purchase your tickets today!
Lisa, tell us about your monologue.
Escaping the Shame is a telling depiction of a woman’s journey through shame and sorrow to healing. Her world comes to an unexpected halt when she finds herself pregnant during her senior year of college. The father, her high school sweet heart, abandons her during the pregnancy. Upon graduation, she finds that no one will hire her because she is inexperienced and pregnant. Embarrassed by her current situation, she is forced to pack her Bachelor of Science, Homecoming Queen crown, and sorority paraphernalia into a few garbage bags, and apply for Welfare.
Who is Lisa?
Dr. Lisa Pickett is a National Board Certified educator who currently serves as the English Department Instructional Team Leader at the Pittsburgh School for the Creative and Performing Arts. She is the Founder/CEO of L Education Consulting and the Founder/CEO of an online boutique entitled L Apparel and Print Creations. Dr. Pickett has made the commitment to grow her knowledge base by embracing current educational research, engaging in rich philosophical discussions, and presenting new ideas to those around her. Her specialties include African American literature, African American history, African American cultural awareness, race-based trauma, secondary education, teacher self-care, creative project management, mediation, educational resources development, edupreneurship, and self-expression apparel. She enjoys spending time with her three children, travelling, and creative project development.
What do you think the city can learn from The Brown Mama Monologues?
Our city can learn that Black women are sensitive, gentle, and worthy of empathy.
What will the audience gain from your monologue?
It is my hope that my monologue will give hope and confidence to women in the audience who may have gone through or are going through similar situations. It also my hope that it will allow audience members to reflect upon how to best support Black women who may be in crisis situations void of judgement.
What Black women do you admire most and why?
I admire Zora Neale Hurston because I appreciate her ability to create characters who walk off the page and capture the essence of African American culture.
Where is your favorite place to go in Pittsburgh?
I love to drive down through Crafton when the Cherry Blossom trees bloom.
What makes Lisa’s family special?
When I learned about Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, I changed the way I mothered my children. I learned to be intentional and transparent about the moves that we make as a family so as to avoid repeating dysfuntional behaviors rooted in American Chattel Slavery. Meaning positive racial identity development, Black history knowledge, and awareness of how to mitigate deficit behaviors are key in my family.
To hear Lisa tell her heroic story about her motherhood journey, purchase your tickets for The Brown Mama Monologues today by clicking here!
We’ll see you at the show on Saturday, May 9th at the August Wilson Cultural Center!
