Learn more about the making of Buffalo Sonnet, a digital comic book inspired by San Juan Hill, in this Behind-the-Scenes video. Get a glimpse of the story, the artistic process, and the historical context for this newly commissioned artwork. Featuring interviews with writer and illustrator Kamau Ware and his creative team.

Explore the full story at LincolnCenter.org/BuffaloSonnet

Filmed at Kamau Studios in DUMBO, Brooklyn on January 12, 2024.

Buffalo Sonnet
Written and illustrated by Kamau Ware
A Kamau Studios project

Commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Buffalo Sonnet is an artistic meditation on the Black experience in the historic San Juan Hill neighborhood. The title plays on the naming of the veteran Black infantrymen, “Buffalo Soldiers,” that settled there at the turn of the 20th century, after fighting in the Spanish-American War. The piece tells the story of a vibrant community that was dispersed, yet has left a powerful shadow in the city’s history. It is emblematic of the larger story of the African diaspora in New York City: how Black communities have been displaced from their neighborhoods since the 17th century, yet have proved resilient. Buffalo Sonnet is an invitation to consider healing for a people migrating by force.