Renaissance Women: Eulalie Spence

Eulalie Spence (1894-1981) was a playwright, director, and teacher from the British West Indies. She made a living as a school teacher, a profession she stayed in for 40 years, but truly made a name for herself by winning awards in several theater competitions. As a self-described “folk dramatist,” her plays depict everyday Black life. This led her to gain criticism from contemporaries like W.E.B. Du Bois, whom she was in the famed Krigwa Players with. She authored some fourteen plays, five of which were published, including “Episode,” “Fool's Errand,” “Her,” “The Hunch,” and “Undertow.” Her works continue to be studied and performed today.

For Further Reading:

• Eulalie Spence, Playwright of the Harlem Renaissance Era
• Black Female Playwrights: An Anthology of Plays before 1950  
• Review: In Eulalie Spence’s Harlem, the 1920s Come to Life - The New York Times

This Black History Month, we’re talking about Renaissance Women. As part of the famed cultural and artistic Harlem Renaissance movement, these women found beauty in an often ugly world.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

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