Art brings history to life.

Paintings, plays, music and movies add emotions to facts so that people FEEL what lives were like in earlier times.

That has been especially true when artists have explored the experiences of African Americans in this country.

And it is dramatically demonstrated in the opera “Margaret Garner,” which is making its East Coast premiere in Philadelphia during Black History Month.

With classic music and powerful voices, “Margaret Garner” retells one of the most controversial stories of slavery in the United States.

At the same time, it shows how the past can be a continuing presence for modern black artists like author Toni Morrison, who wrote the text, or libretto, of the opera; mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, who sings the lead role; and Kenny Leon, who directed the new production.

Margaret Garner was a real woman, a mother and a slave.

One-hundred-fifty years ago, on January 28, 1856, she escaped from Kentucky to free territory in Ohio with her husband and four children.

Making it to free territory across the frozen Ohio River was not the end of the story, however, because the national Fugitive Slave Act required that citizens in both slave and free states assist in capturing escaped slaves.

Tracked by the plantation owner from Kentucky, Garner and her family were surrounded at the home of free relatives.

Faced with capture, Garner killed one of her four children rather than let her be returned to slavery.

Major case

The case of Margaret Garner became one of most controversial in the nation’s debate over slavery.

After her arrest, harsh arguments broke out over how to charge and try her in court. Should she be charged with murder in the free state of Ohio, or with “destruction of property” in Kentucky, a state where slaves were considered goods to be bought and sold?

It was a no-win situation for Margaret Garner. She was found guilty of “destruction of property”— her child — and ordered back into slavery.

Powerful story

The story of Margaret Garner was an inspiration to artists before it became an opera. Toni Morrison based her Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Beloved” on Garner’s story, and later won the Nobel Prize in Literature for this and other works. Oprah Winfrey was so moved by the story that she worked years to produce a movie of “Beloved,” and played the tragic role of Garner.

Turning the story into an opera was a natural move, artistically. Opera uses the power of music to enrich the meaning of stories.

In an opera, conversations are sung rather than spoken. This gives double meaning and emotion to a story—it not only has the impact of words, but also the moods created by the music.

In just a few notes, music in an opera can convey the joy of freedom or the tragedy of despair.

In African American history, the life of Margaret Garner had both.

1. Black History Month celebrates the many aspects of African American culture and heritage. The opera “Margaret Garner” combines music with history to create a new way to look at events from the past. As a class, discuss other ways African American arts or artists give people new understanding of black history and heritage. What might the works of today’s African American artists teach future Americans about life in our times?


2. Music adds a dimension to any story because it adds emotions and moods to the facts. Find a story that interests you in today’s newspaper. Read the story. Then pretend you have been hired to create a soundtrack to extend the impact of the story. What kind of music would you choose? What artists? What songs? Discuss your choices as a class.


3. Like plays and movies, operas draw story lines from many sources. Use today’s newspaper and look for ideas on which you could base an opera. You can pick an event, a person, or a place written about in the news. Remember: Unlike a play, creators of operas look for stories that can be told dramatically with music. Write a paragraph explaining your choice.


4. The opera “Margaret Garner” was inspired by a real woman facing a real crisis. Pretend you are a songwriter and choose a person in the news who could inspire you to write a song about his or her situation. Write a sentence stating why you chose this person. Then write a sentence stating what kind of song it would be.