Between My Son and the Streets & The Lion and the Cub by Dr. Yusef Shakur

Two dynamic plays in one show!

Before he became an author, filmmaker, scholar, or community leader, he was simply a little boy trying to understand the love of his mother and the absence of his father.

His mother stood between him and the streets, carrying burdens no child fully understands until much later. His father, separated by Pr*son walls for decades, taught him that our humanity is never beyond redemption and that transformation remains possible, even under the harshest conditions.

Inspired by the life of Dr. Yusef Bunchy Shakur and the extraordinary lives of his parents, Ava Jo and Baruti, A Black Mother's Reckoning and The Lion and the Cub is presented as two interconnected plays experienced as one story. Through one Detroit family's journey, this world premiere explores Black motherhood, fatherhood, incarceration, love, sacrifice, accountability, and redemption.

While rooted in Detroit, this is a story that reaches far beyond one city. It invites audiences to reflect on the enduring power of a mother's love, the complicated bonds between fathers and sons, the cost of separation, and the possibility that redemption is not a destination but a lifelong journey.

More than a theatrical performance, this is a shared experience that asks us to bear witness to stories too often reduced to headlines, statistics, and stereotypes. It is an invitation to reflect, to feel, and to engage in conversations about family, justice, memory, healing, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Following select performances, audience members are invited to remain for a facilitated conversation with members of the cast and creative team.

Enter parking lot and building from Vernor Hwy.

Info: 30 mins prior to showtime