THE SOAPBOX PRESENTS

"THE SOAPBOX PRESENTS is a platform, literally and figuratively, for Black and brown expression. Founded by Marija Abney, in response to the murder of George Floyd, The Soapbox Presents creates a space for us to commune, resist, be rejuvenated and revived as we celebrate the brilliance of Black and brown people through the performing arts. Since 2020 we have provided free arts programming to community featuring some of NYC’s most talented artists. From Mahogany L Browne (Lincoln Center’s first poet-in-residence) to Sean Mason (arranger, composer, pianist, and featured guest of the Wynton Marsalis Quintet), The Soapbox Presents gives Black and brown artists the opportunity to give back to their communities. And each and every artist featured on our platform gets paid. We are the recipients of The Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place grant 2021-2024, in 2021 we were acknowledged by the United Nations for our work in their inaugural International Day of People of African Descent, in 2022 we were celebrated in the “Positively Black” segment on NBC New York, and most recently in 2023, we received Open Plan’s People’s Choice Award for best activator in their first annual Public Space Awards. We've performed at The Apollo, Symphony Space, and Lincoln Center but most significantly on the street corners and sidewalks of New York City."