In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters: Documentary Screening and Q&A with Director Leslie Askew

‘In Search of Phillis Wheatley Peters' is a 35-minute short film that reveals the little-known love story of Phillis Wheatley—America's first published Black poet—and John Peters, a free Black man she married in 1778. Drawing from the groundbreaking scholarship of historian Dr. Cornelia Dayton, the film brings new archival discoveries to life, revealing the couple's struggles for autonomy, dignity, and survival in Revolutionary-era Boston. Featuring insights from leading scholars and poets, the film reimagines Phillis not just as a literary icon, but as a woman who chose love, partnership, and resistance against extraordinary odds. Join Director Leslie Askew for a screening and Q&A. The event is open to all, and is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in the literature and history of Revolutionary America, Black history and literature, and documentary film.