Adriane Lentz-Smith

Interviewee, Hell Fighter

Adriane offered incomparable insight and dialogue into the reality of Black lives in the modern United States today, and helped our Hellfighters DocuDrama with her considerable knowledge as an interviewee.

Adriane Lentz-Smith is Associate Professor of History and African & African American Studies at Duke University where she teaches courses on Black Lives, modern U. S. history, and histories of the Black Freedom Struggle. Sharing her thoughts on ‘Hellfighter’, she says, “The history of the Black freedom struggle is filled with dramas small and grand. Working with the makers of the Hellfighter documentary allowed me to share those tales of ingenuity, courage, and heartbreak with an exciting new audience. As someone who deals mostly in the written word, I was fascinated by the documentary process — the way that Elegance, Chester, and the folks working on the film engaged their narrative through visuals and sound. As they conducted the interview in my backyard, they led me into a new relationship with the landscape and soundscape. I listen to my yard differently now.”