A new play titled 'Changing Same: The Cold-Blooded Murder of Booker T. Spicely' delves into the racial injustice faced by Black Army soldier Booker T. Spicely, who was murdered eighty years ago in Durham.

Spicely, who enlisted in the Army in late 1943, was shot on July 8, 1944, after confronting a bus driver about segregation on a city bus.

The bus driver, Herman Lee Council, shot Spicely twice and was charged with murder, but he was acquitted by an all-white jury after only 28 minutes of deliberation.

Key figures in the local Black community, including James Shepard and C.C. Spaulding, opted not to involve the NAACP due to fears of unrest, resulting in a lack of support for Spicely's family.

Playwrights Mike Wiley and Howard Craft highlight the complexities of the case, particularly the response of Durham's Black elite, which left Spicely's family feeling frustrated.

The play features a 99-year-old fictional narrator, Gideon Storm, and includes over a dozen real characters who share their perspectives through letters, court testimony, and editorials.

Wiley, who portrays all characters in the play, has previously created works about notable figures like Jackie Robinson and Emmett Till, focusing on the Black experience in America.

In addition to Spicely's story, the play addresses the broader context of Jim Crow laws and the challenges faced by Black men serving in the military during World War II.

The Booker T. Spicely Committee is actively advocating for recognition and historical markers related to Spicely's case, aiming to keep his story alive.

Historian Tim Tyson emphasizes that the play provides historical context and a multi-faceted narrative surrounding Spicely's murder.

Opening on November 7, 2024, at Swain Hall Black Box Theatre at UNC Chapel Hill, the play will have subsequent performances at Duke University from November 14 to 17, 2024, with plans to reach broader audiences across the country.