Telling the story of "The Slave, Monk Estill" // Artists Respond Guest Blog

The following guest blog was written by Artist Respond microgrant recipient Malcolm Davis (Affrilachian Arts), who solo performed The Slave, Monk Estill. Learn about Monk Estill and hear from the audience. You can learn more about this project at kyrux.org/microgrants/2024, and connect with Malcolm at affrilachianarts.org.

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Malcolm Davis (Affrilachian Arts) is an Affrilachian theatre artist and scholar, who has crafted an engaging solo performance highlighting an unsung hero of Kentucky’s Black History: Monk Estill. Davis has dedicated upwards of a year to researching and crafting this performance to uplift the historical contribution of Monk Estill, the first Black man freed in the State of Kentucky, to the state and Appalachian Region.

It is a story that is incredibly timely, as there is a massive push to whitewash the history of Appalachia and America, and erase the important contributions of Black and Brown people.

Having first performed The Slave, Monk Estill at the Berea Juneteenth Celebration in June of 2024, it was a full circle experience for the fourth and final performance of 2024 to come at the Berea Arts Council in November 2024. In partnership with Berea Arts Council (BAC) and SouthArts, with microgrant support from a Kentucky Rural-Urban Exchange’s Artists Respond microgrant, as part of BAC’s Berea Black History and Heritage exhibit, Malcolm performed to an audience at the Arts Council, and led an engaging discussion answering questions that the audience had about his process, his plans, and Monk’s life.

“I thought Malcolm’s performance was engaging and a sobering drama about the shadow side of Appalachian history. Malcolm is able to tell an important story with passion, conviction, and grace. “

—Henry Gaddis, Berea College Junior from Houston, Texas

“Malcolm’s performance at the Arts Council was captivating and full of emotional depth. His ability to connect with the audience and convey a powerful narrative through his art was truly impressive and made me feel like I was witnessing the true pain and grief his character went through. His passion in his delivery showcased not only his talent but also his dedication to accurately presenting each character he does. It genuinely left a lasting impression on me of how much pain and suffering the character went through in his life and made it a memorable experience for everyone present.”

—Sarah, Berea College Senior

“The use of music, Malcolm’s voice and embodiment of Monk, and the poetic nature of the performance transported us to Monk’s world, and invited us to take a new look at the region we call our home.”

—Hannah Burt, a Berea resident & employee of local business Rebel Rebel