Anita Kopacz frames the spiritual path of kidnapped Africans as they journey through the Middle Passage. The historical storytelling of Yemaya, Goddess of the sea, acknowledges the strength enslaved people maintained through African religions. Their spirituality further strengthened the pride of those who, on the surface, were stripped of everything material. Shallow Waters is teaching a new generation the root of black womanhood by way of Yemaya. If nothing else the audience will be awarded a hold on their own divinity.