Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
7 Stories Up at SNFL continues to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with this immersive performance featuring the roots sounds of Harlem-based ensemble Vienna Carroll & The Folk. Their original show "Self Evident Truths" brings to life powerful tales of self-emancipation from chattel slavery, resilience, and bravery through storytelling and songs.
Vienna Carroll is a Harlem-based singer, actor, storyteller/playwright, historian, and herbalist. Her soulful voice and powerful storytelling draw from her roots in the Black church and her Alabama family traditions. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in African American Studies, she performs Afro Future Roots Music, reimagining spirituals and Black folk songs for today. She has performed solo and with her band The Folk at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Langston Hughes House, Schomburg Center, Bitter End and sea music festivals celebrating and preserving Black cultural and spiritual legacies. Carroll’s theater credits include her award-winning musical docudramas in the NYC Fringe Festival and as resident artist at the Hudson River Museum.
The Folk are Keith Johnston (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Jon Hendricks) on guitar; Stanley Banks (George Benson) on bass; and Newman Taylor Baker (Matthew Shipp, Henry Grimes, Ebony Hillbillies) on washboard.
7 Stories Up at SNFL continues to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with this immersive performance featuring the roots sounds of Harlem-based ensemble Vienna Carroll & The Folk. Their original show "Self Evident Truths" brings to life powerful tales of self-emancipation from chattel slavery, resilience, and bravery through storytelling and songs.
Vienna Carroll is a Harlem-based singer, actor, storyteller/playwright, historian, and herbalist. Her soulful voice and powerful storytelling draw from her roots in the Black church and her Alabama family traditions. A graduate of Yale University with a B.A. in African American Studies, she performs Afro Future Roots Music, reimagining spirituals and Black folk songs for today. She has performed solo and with her band The Folk at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Langston Hughes House, Schomburg Center, Bitter End and sea music festivals celebrating and preserving Black cultural and spiritual legacies. Carroll’s theater credits include her award-winning musical docudramas in the NYC Fringe Festival and as resident artist at the Hudson River Museum.
The Folk are Keith Johnston (Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Jon Hendricks) on guitar; Stanley Banks (George Benson) on bass; and Newman Taylor Baker (Matthew Shipp, Henry Grimes, Ebony Hillbillies) on washboard.
