African American writers construct African traditions within American society to help African Americans form a new, empowered identity. Reclaiming such an identity requires reconstructing the erased cultural traditions. This paper focuses on how Homi Bhabha's concept of the third space enables August Wilson to empower African Americans by introducing their cultural elements within the mainstream American culture. For African American playwrights, the concept of the third space provides a framework for understanding the complexity and fluidity of African American cultural identity. Also, it highlights the transformative potential of the encounter between African and American cultures. By exploring the third space, African American playwrights can challenge dominant narratives and redefine identity in hybridization. The paper applies the idea of third space to August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone (1988). In his plays, August Wilson introduces the concept of the third space where African Americans can freely practice their African traditions and form their new hybrid identities. He empowers African Americans by bringing African traditions and heritage on the stage to help them recognize themselves as Africans and Americans. In his play, Wilson creates a liminal space for his characters to enable them to practice their cultural heritage and connect with their ancestors. Performing cultural heritage in the liminal space represents the power of human connections and highlights personal transformation.