▁Those ▁who ▁belonged ▁to ▁tribes ▁were ▁not ▁considered ▁citizens ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁but ▁members ▁of ▁different ▁nations . ▁Rh oda ▁Lev ine , ▁who ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁cre ative ▁consult ant ▁during ▁the ▁opera ▁development , ▁had ▁previously ▁worked ▁with ▁Davis . ▁She ▁served ▁as ▁both ▁director ▁and ▁dram atur ge ▁with ▁Davis ▁on ▁his ▁opera ▁X : ▁The ▁Life ▁and ▁Times ▁of ▁Mal col m ▁X ▁when ▁it ▁premier ed ▁at ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Opera ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁W ak onda ’ s ▁Dream , ▁Lev ine ▁frequently ▁referred ▁to ▁herself ▁as ▁the ▁" audi ence ▁advoc ate ," ▁a ▁term ▁she ▁pre fers ▁to ▁dram atur ge . ▁Lev ine ▁describes ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁history ▁in ▁the ▁opera : ▁ ▁" If ▁one ▁den ies ▁one ' s ▁past , ▁one ' s ▁future ▁is ▁in ▁some ▁way ▁imp a ired ▁because ▁your ▁past ▁inform s ▁your ▁sense ▁of ▁the ▁future . ▁If ▁you ▁den y ▁your ▁roots , ▁you ▁lose ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁your ▁own ▁identity . ▁If ▁one ▁feels ▁pun ished ▁not ▁by ▁what ▁they ▁do ▁but ▁because ▁of ▁who ▁they ▁are ▁– ▁which ▁is ▁how ▁Justin ▁[ the ▁father ] ▁feels ▁in ▁our ▁story ▁– ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁sense ▁of ▁dis connect . ▁He ▁wants ▁nothing ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁his ▁native ▁past . ▁He ▁feels ▁it ▁has ▁limited ▁his ▁opportun ities . ▁But ▁our ▁past ▁will ▁always ▁en rich ▁who ▁we ▁are . ▁That ▁is ▁the ▁theme