Columbia-based poet Traci Neal is making history as her work gets selected for a groundbreaking musical composition that will debut at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The accomplished writer learned that a letter she submitted will be part of “Letters to America,” a powerful new work honoring Black women’s voices as the nation marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Grammy Award-winning soprano Karen Slack and the American Composers Orchestra will bring Neal’s words to life on March 11, 2025, in a premiere performance that promises to reshape how America hears stories from Black women. The South Carolina poet shared her excitement with Blackgirlsbond about this remarkable opportunity that places her voice among a select group of Black women writers from across the country.
Black Women’s Voices Take Center Stage at Historic Carnegie Hall Performance
The “Letters to America” project represents something far bigger than a typical musical performance. Composer Brittany J. Green created this work by setting letters from Black women to music, transforming personal stories into a classical composition that challenges the traditional boundaries of who gets heard in prestigious concert halls.
“The significance of this work on the heels of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and its presentation in the Classical space — a place that has excluded and diminished the artistic contributions of black women — cannot be understated,” Green explained. The project deliberately reimagines American historical documents through the perspectives of Black women, creating a conversation between past and present.
Through this national initiative, Green sought to amplify voices that have been “ignored, misunderstood, and shut down” throughout American history. The March premiere will invite audiences to experience America through the eyes of Black women, offering a perspective often missing from mainstream historical narratives.
How a Midlands Poet Got the Call for Carnegie Hall
Neal’s journey to Carnegie Hall began with a timely email from Ashleigh Gordon, the Artistic Director and Violinist for Castle of our Skins, a Black arts institution based in Boston, Massachusetts. Gordon remembered Neal from collaborative work they had done years earlier and thought the Columbia poet would be perfect for the Letters to America project.
“I loved what the Letters to America project was about,” Neal told Blackgirlsbond. After receiving the submission information, she took an important step by reaching out to Steven Alesso to confirm whether she could submit her letter in a poetic style. When he gave her the green light, she formatted her work as a PDF and submitted it through the online form.
The rest, as Neal puts it, “is history.” While the names of contributing writers won’t appear on the American Composers Orchestra’s event listing, all writers will receive acknowledgment at the Carnegie Hall premiere itself.
Empowerment Through Poetry: Traci Neal’s Artistic Mission
For Neal, this Carnegie Hall honor connects directly to her broader mission as a writer. The poet uses her craft to inspire reflection and action in readers, aiming to touch hearts and change minds through carefully chosen words.
“My main message will always be for each individual to feel empowered,” Neal shared with Blackgirlsbond. “I use words as a way to give reflection and a call to action. I want to compel each person to never give up.”
Neal hopes her work helps people see themselves gaining strength and finding courage to face life’s challenges head-on. Many of her published poems focus on advocacy and awareness, themes that align perfectly with the Letters to America project’s goal of centering Black women’s experiences in American storytelling.
Reimagining American History Through Black Women’s Letters
The Letters to America composition places present-day Black women in direct conversation with the founding documents of the United States. By gathering letters through a nationwide call for submissions, the project creates a modern-day response to historical texts that largely excluded Black women’s voices.
This approach transforms the classical music space into a platform for perspectives that have been systematically left out of America’s official story. The timing alongside the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence adds powerful context to the work’s message.
Neal’s participation in this project demonstrates how contemporary Black women writers continue pushing boundaries and claiming space in institutions that historically shut them out. The Carnegie Hall stage becomes a symbol of progress and a reminder of how far the journey toward full inclusion still needs to go.
March 11 Premiere Marks Historic Moment for Black Women in Classical Music
The upcoming premiere at Carnegie Hall represents more than just another concert date. It marks a deliberate effort to change who gets celebrated in classical music spaces and whose stories get told on the most prestigious stages in America.
Neal emphasized that she does not take this opportunity lightly. For the Midlands poet, standing among the voices selected for this composition carries deep meaning as both a personal achievement and a step forward for representation in the arts.
The collaboration between composer Brittany J. Green, soprano Karen Slack, and the American Composers Orchestra creates a powerful platform for Black women’s stories to reach new audiences. These community-sourced letters will resonate through Carnegie Hall, inviting listeners to experience American history through a lens that challenges traditional narratives and centers the experiences of those whose voices have been diminished for too long.
