Join us for a special afternoon of honoring Frank Silvera, a pioneer in Black Cinema with a screening and conversation. Frank Silvera’s daughter, Linda Silvera will also be in attendance.

Frank Silvera (1914–1970) was a remarkable Jamaican-born American actor, director, and mentor who made significant contributions to theater and film while championing African-American artists. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Boston, he began his acting career in the 1930s in Boston Ma as part of the Negro Theater and became a prominent figure in the American Negro Theatre in Harlem, helping to usher in a new era for Black performers on Broadway and beyond

Silvera was known for his versatility, playing a wide range of ethnic roles in film and television, and earned a Tony Award nomination in 1963 for his role in The Lady of the Camellias. Deeply committed to civil rights, he openly protested against the limited and stereotypical roles available to Black actors and founded the Theatre of Being in Los Angeles in 1965 to train and empower young Black actors.

Learn more about Frank Silvera and the Frank Silvera Writers’ Workshop Foundation, Inc here: https://thefsww.org/