In his new book, The Family Business: Four Generations of One Black Family’s Theatrical Odyssey, Wren T. Brown celebrated his family’s remarkable contributions to the arts. He described the book as both a tribute to his family and a call to preserve Black history.
“The family business is storytelling,” Brown said, emphasizing the continuity of artistry within his lineage.
Brown explained that his great-grandfather, Willis Handy Young, stood at the heart of the story.
At 10 years old, Young became the choir master of his church in Thibodeau, Louisiana. “He gave his children music because he didn’t want them to work hard like his father, who was a Cooper and a boot black,” Brown shared.
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Young’s love for music became a gift to his children, including jazz legend Lester Young and Brown’s great-aunt Irma Young.
Brown said his great-grandfather believed music was a universal language and a path to better opportunities. “This vision laid the foundation for a legacy that continues to this day,” he said.
Brown also highlighted his paternal side’s artistry. His grandfather, Troy Brown Sr., began performing at 14 years old in Memphis, working in tent and medicine shows. “My grandmother, Bertha Brown, was a dancer who started in Mobile, Alabama, and eventually built her career in New York,” Brown explained.
Brown’s father, Troy Brown Jr., joined the stage early as well. “He had his first experience on stage between three and a half and four years old with the great Cab Calloway at the Alhambra Theater,” Brown said.
By 1936, the family had migrated to Los Angeles, becoming part of its growing artistic community.
For Brown, preserving his family’s history became deeply personal. “I always had a yearning for the arts and a proclivity to communicate artistically,” he shared. By age five, he said he felt a calling to be a communicator, though he wasn’t sure what form that would take.
Brown explained that while his siblings had a general awareness of their artistic heritage, he became “the steward and custodian of their memorabilia, their legacy, and their scrapbooks.” He worked tirelessly to preserve their documents, photos, and other items, scanning fragile materials, and conducting extensive research.
“Every single piece of ephemera in the book comes out of their personal holdings,” Brown shared. He said he supplemented their materials by combing through newspapers like the Pittsburgh Courier and the California Eagle. “The dots are absolutely connected,” he remarked, highlighting the importance of preserving Black artistic continuity.
Brown said his family’s contributions predated icons like Paul Robeson and Hattie McDaniel. “They were doing it long before the world ever heard of these names,” he said. He viewed their work as part of a larger continuum of Black excellence in the arts.
The book also reflected Brown’s own artistic journey. As an actor, producer, and founding artistic director of the Ebony Repertory Theatre, he said he carried forward the professional standards his ancestors had established. “It would have been beneath my privilege if I had founded a company where actors were not getting a living wage,” Brown explained.
He credited his grandfather, Lee Young Sr., for instilling professionalism, recalling his advice: “Amateurs get trophies, and pros get paid.” Brown said this principle guided his work, including efforts to elevate the Ebony Repertory Theatre as Los Angeles’ first Black professional theater.
Brown expressed hope that The Family Business would inspire readers to explore their own histories. “I encourage others to take ownership of their image and their story,” he said. His great-grandfather’s belief in “falling forward” on artistic pursuits rather than falling back on other plans continues to resonate with him.
The book, which Brown described as both written and “produced,” features personal photos, advertisements, and historical ephemera.
Brown said he worked diligently to ensure every detail reflected his family’s artistry and integrity. “How we tell these stories and maintain our dignity in the face of what James Baldwin called the terrifying odds is central to this book,” Brown explained.
Available at thefamilybusinessbook.com, The Family Business celebrates perseverance, artistry, and identity. Brown said he hoped readers would find “inspiration and history within the history” and feel motivated to uncover their own stories.
