., ▁and ▁subsequently ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁Rach el ▁was ▁performed ▁by ▁an ▁all - black ▁cast . ▁Re action ▁to ▁the ▁play ▁was ▁good . ▁The ▁NA AC P ▁said ▁of ▁the ▁play : ▁" This ▁is ▁the ▁first ▁attempt ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁stage ▁for ▁race ▁propag anda ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁en light en ▁the ▁American ▁people ▁rel ating ▁to ▁the ▁l ament able ▁condition ▁of ▁ten ▁millions ▁of ▁Col ored ▁citizens ▁in ▁this ▁free ▁republic ." ▁ ▁Rach el ▁port ray s ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁an ▁African - American ▁family ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁where ▁hundreds ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁black s ▁had ▁migr ated ▁from ▁the ▁rural ▁South ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁M igration . ▁Center ed ▁on ▁the ▁family ▁of ▁the ▁title ▁character , ▁each ▁role ▁express es ▁different ▁responses ▁to ▁the ▁ra cial ▁disc rim ination ▁against ▁black s ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁Gr im ké ▁also ▁expl ores ▁them es ▁of ▁mother hood ▁and ▁the ▁innoc ence ▁of ▁children . ▁Rach el ▁develop s ▁as ▁she ▁changes ▁her ▁per ception s ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁a ▁mother ▁might ▁be , ▁based ▁on ▁her ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁a ▁na iv ete ▁towards ▁the ▁terrible ▁truth s ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁around ▁her . ▁A ▁l yn ch ing ▁is ▁the ▁ful c rum ▁of ▁the ▁play . ▁ ▁The ▁play ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁but ▁received ▁little ▁attention ▁after ▁its ▁initial ▁produ ctions .