Russell and Rowena Jelliffe, the founders of Karamu House, commissioned Langston Hughes to write Black Nativity in 1961. The play was originally titled Wasn't That a Mighty Day?, but the name was changed to Black Nativity before the off-Broadway opening in December 1961. A Karamu Classic, Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity is the famed retelling of the Nativity Story, performed using gospel music, dramatic dance and biblical narrative. It is performed nationwide annually, and Karamu is proud to produce this classic at home in Cleveland, where it all began.
