The Troy Arts Council will present “Rhapsody in Black” at 7 p.m. tonight at the Claudia Crosby Theater on the campus of Troy University. There will also be a student show at 10 a.m. at the campus theater.

The one-man show was written by and is performed by LeLand Gantt and explores his personal journey to understand and eventually transcend racism in America.

TAC presenter chair, Dr. John Jinright has seen the Gantt’s performance and said it is a powerful show that deals with the important issues of stereotyping.

“LeLand Gantt explores those issues with humor and grace,” Jinright said. “It’s an auto-biographical journey that confronts racism, not only in others but in himself.”

Gantt’s life journey began in the Pennsylvania ghettos. As a teenager he experimented with drugs and delved into crime. However, he overcame those negatives in his life. He found success academically and an on stage.

His acting career landed Gantt in situations where he was the only African-American in the room.

Jinright said Gantt will share how he managed to cope with the various psychological effects of being marked “The Other.”

Having seen Gantt’s story told on stage, Jinright said his presentation will leave a lasting impression on the audience.

“He takes the audience behind the scenes as he deal with racism and, in so doing, discovers a lot about himself,” Jinright said. “He gives the audiences some tools to confront racism as we encounter it in our own lives. Hearing his point of view will be something of value to all of us.”

General admission tickets for “Rhapsody in Black” are $20 and will be available at the door.