This coming weekend, 651 ARTS, Brooklyn’s premier institution dedicated to the African Diasporic performing arts, presents a workshop production of Little Black Book, the debut stage play by award-winning Brooklyn-based poet and playwright Najee Omar. The production is a bold, genre-defying work rooted in the Black queer experience that fuses theater, poetry, music, and movement into a deeply personal and profoundly resonant meditation on identity, love, community, and the radical act of self-discovery.

At the heart of Little Black Book is Omar himself and the complicated journey of coming into his queerness. The work follows a Brooklyn poet who has recently come out as he revisits the men who shaped him, ultimately learning that the truest form of love begins within. Through a seamless blend of poetry, movement, live DJ mixes, and storytelling, the performance unfolds as both an intimate diary entry and a unique theatrical experience. Drawing from interviews with Black queer men across generations, it builds an evolving collection of love stories, heartbreaks, and revelations – transforming memory into a living archive and preserving the myriad voices, rhythms, and emotions that define the Black queer experience. Little Black Book also offers a tender, revolutionary perspective of Black queer intimacy –  and of representation beyond trauma – showcasing Black men in their full humanity. Through this multidisciplinary, hybrid approach, Omar has created a space that is as vulnerable as it is joyous, inviting audiences to witness not only the ache of longing but also the power of affirmation, healing, and transformation.

“As a Black queer man who came out in my late twenties, I rarely saw myself reflected on stage in ways that felt whole. When we did appear, it was often through trauma. I created Little Black Book to reclaim our narratives and honor our wholeness. Too often, stories about Black queer men center on pain or performance, but I wanted to make something that celebrates our softness, our love, and our ability to heal out loud,” says Omar. “To bring this work home to Brooklyn, with 651 ARTS, means everything to me. This institution has long championed the kind of bold, vulnerable storytelling that has shaped me as an artist. Premiering Little Black Book here isn’t just a milestone in my artistic career, it’s a homecoming rooted in gratitude, community, and truth.”

This collaboration with 651 ARTS extends Omar’s relationship with the institution and reflects the organization’s ongoing commitment to nurturing the next generation of visionary Black creatives as well as celebrating the borough’s vibrant artistic lineage. In true 651 ARTS fashion, the presentation of the production connects art to community – amplifying the stories that reflect, uplift, and redefine what it means to call Brooklyn home.

“As 651 ARTS steps into its first full season in our new permanent home, we are intentional about honoring the artists who reflect Brooklyn’s creative heartbeat,” said Toya Lillard, Executive Director of 651 ARTS. “Najee Omar’s Little Black Book does exactly that. It’s tender, powerful, and deeply rooted in this community. To present his work here – where his story began – is not just a premiere, it’s a homecoming that reminds us why 651 exists: to uplift, to celebrate, and to create space for Black artistry in all its beauty and complexity.”