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Know Justice, Know Peace Black Lives Matter New York City Protest Photos 2020 By Bob Gore Design by Alan Hicks Book Review by Jean Nash Wells

In May 2020, much of America was on lockdown. Streets were barren and businesses were shuttered. During the year, national COVID-19 deaths had exceeded 100,000 and in New York City, 100 people were dying daily from the disease.

Those sheltered in place were watching repeats of the graphic video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd. The shocking images revealed the brutality African Americans continued to endure and spurred protests against police misconduct worldwide.

For weeks, photographer Bob Gore followed marches that encircled the city and rallies from Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan to Midtown. The result is an engaging, 102page photographic journal of images that take you to the epicenter of the action. Gore’s photographs transport the reader into the heart of New York’s protests. Noted photography scholar and historian Professor Deborah Willis, Ph.D.

offered this critique: “What we experience in this book is that social protest is a complex visual story to photograph, and through the lens of Bob Gore, we experience instantly respect in a time of turmoil.” The book includes essays that relate Gore’s personal reflections on his own long activist career that began when he served as a volunteer in The Chicago Freedom Movement led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In one piece, one of the two “talks” refers to the conversation Black parents had with their sons about the dos and don’ts of interacting with police. His “Emmett Till” essay also points to another widespread concern during the Jim Crow era (the second “talk”): how to prepare northern boys for safe southern travel during the 1955 summer of Till’s heinous murder. It was an act of terrorism, committed to instill fear in Blacks, especially those visiting from the north who might run afoul F rustrated with the lack of diversity in American theater, Ricardo Mohamed Khan and L. Kenneth Richardson conceptualized the Crossroads Theatre Company. Since its founding in 1978, Crossroads has produced over 100 works, many of them premiere of “southern customs” by race-mixing—especially those who might dare attempt to talk to white women. For Gore, the protests were sometimes jubilant, sometimes a bittersweet experience. Nevertheless, the massive turnout of multiracial, multicultural, and multigenerational marchers suggests a new era of racial justice. New productions by African and African American artists, York City Public Advocate Jumanne D. Williams, who including The Colored Museum and Spunk by George C. participated in some of the protests observed, “These Wolfe, Jitney by August Wilson, Sheila’s Day by South Af- images capture a moment in a movement, an energy, a rican writer Duma, Ndlovu and many more. Crossroads collective demand for justice and equity of a scope unreceived the 1999 Tony Award for Outstanding Region- like we’ve seen in decades that swept the country and was al Theatre in the United States in recognition of its 22- palpably present here in New York.”year history of artistic accomplishment and excellence.

“My father’s heritage is East Indian; my mother is African-American and so they were bringing together two cultures,” said Kahn. “That’s ethically as well as geographically. Growing up, there was never a sense that we were solely identified by being Black kids in Camden, New Jersey. Yes, we were Black in Camden, but our roots are global. What I’ve always wanted to tell people through Crossroads is that it’s about our roots. As Black people in this country we should not forget or even allow people to think this is all of who we are.” He continued, “There’s much more! The sense of a connecting, having a theater like Crossroads that connects to many different communities in this country and around the world is in order for us to redefine who we are on a larger level.”

Across the Hudson River, one of the pioneering institutions integrating artists of color and women into the mainstream American theater, Woodie King Jr.’s New Federal Theater (NFT), faces major changes. Founded in 1970, NFT began as an outgrowth of a theatre program called Mobilization for Youth. The theatre’s first season opened in the basement of St. Augustine’s For more information go to bobgorephotography.com

survival!By James Frazier Newark News & Story Collaborative Health ideas for wellness Black Theater Companies Pivot, Present | In-person Theatre is Back Money Church on Henry Street. Many performers benefited from early successes on NFT’s stage—the late Chadbuiness, finance + work wick Boseman, Debbie Allen, Morgan Freeman, Phylicia Rashad, Denzel Washington, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Issa Rae, and many more. Woodie King Jr. retired from leadership of the illustrious theater at the end of June. “During the first part of the pandemic, March 2020, I had been thinking about retiring,” King revealed. “Then the pandemic increased in time. The offices closed down. Then people needed to have shots. I said, ‘Wait a minute, I don’t want to go back to work. I’m 83 years old. So, what should I do?’ I thought, I needed a young person to run it. And that person was Elizabeth Van Dyke, our artistic director. She’s experienced and understands how to communicate with this generation. And getting that younger person to run it and work with me over the last year and five months, solidified it for me.” As millions of people quarantined last year, theaters around the world temporarily closed their doors and we were forced to stay at home without live entertainment. For the first time, the theater found the need to compete with social media and streaming platforms. NFT embraced change, deciding to shift theater to the digital space with pre-recorded and live Education the art + science of learning Ricardo Kahn Crossroads Theatre Company Know Justice, Know Peace Black Lives Matter New York City Protest Photos 2020 By Bob Gore Design by Alan Hicks Book Review by Jean Nash WellsIn May 2020, much of America was on lockdown. Streets were barren and businesses were shuttered. During the year, national COVID-19 deaths had exceeded 100,000 and in New York City, 100 people were dying daily from the disease. Those sheltered in place were watching repeats of the graphic video of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd. The shocking images revealed the brutality African Americans continued to endure and spurred protests against police misconduct worldwide. For weeks, photographer Bob Gore followed marches that encircled the city and rallies from Brooklyn and Low-er Manhattan to Midtown. The result is an engaging, 102page photographic journal of images that take you to the epicenter of the action. Gore’s photographs transport the reader into the heart of New York’s protests. Noted photography scholar and historian Professor Deborah Willis, Ph.D.

offered this critique: “What we experience in this book is that social protest is a complex visual story to photograph, and through the lens of Bob Gore, we experience instantly respect in a time of turmoil.” The book includes essays that relate Gore’s personal reflections on his own long activist career that began when he served as a volunteer in The Chicago Freedom Movement led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In one piece, one of the two “talks” refers to the conversation Black parents had with their sons about the dos and don’ts of interacting with police. His “Emmett Till” essay also points to another widespread concern during the Jim Crow era (the second “talk”): how to prepare northern boys for safe southern travel during the 1955 summer of Till’s heinous murder. It was an act of terrorism, committed to instill fear in Blacks, especially those visiting from the north who might run afoul of “southern customs” by race-mixing—especially those who might dare attempt to talk to white women. For Gore, the protests were sometimes jubilant, sometimes a bittersweet experience. Nevertheless, the massive turnout of multiracial, multicultural, and multigenerational marchers suggests a new era of racial justice. New York City Public Advocate Jumanne D. Williams, who participated in some of the protests observed, “These images capture a moment in a movement, an energy, a collective demand for justice and equity of a scope unlike we’ve seen in decades that swept the country and was palpably present here in New York.” For more information go to bobgorephotography.com

125 Years Later Black Activist Homer Plessy Pardoned

By Jean Nash Wells

Descendants of Homer Plessy look on as Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signs formal pardon, January 5, 2022.

It didn’t bring the change he hoped for at the time, but in 1892, Homer Plessy deliberately disobeyed the Louisiana law that kept Black and white United States citizens separate in just about every phase of life. All of the southern states had such laws.

Only one-eighth African with very fair skin, Plessy felt strongly that the 13th and 14th Amendments to the Constitution overruled the state law and decided to do something about it.

Along with an organization called “The Citizens’ Committee to Test the Constitutionality of the Separate Car Law,” Plessy planned to test the law. On June 7, 1892, he bought a ticket and boarded a train leaving New Orleans going to Covington, Louisiana. He took a seat in the “whites only” car, informed the conductor he was Black, and refused to move to the “colored” car when instructed to do so. Arrested, jailed, and convicted for violating Louisiana’s 1890 Separate Car Act, Plessy appealed the conviction to the Louisiana Supreme Court, naming Judge John Howard Ferguson, who convicted him, as the respondent. That court upheld the conviction. Plessy then appealed to the United States Supreme Court. The court’s majority opinion upheld the conviction with only one dissenting opinion by Justice John Marshal Harlan.

The United States Supreme court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, which allowed “separate but equal” accommodations, stood until the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title II of the law prohibits “... discrimination or segregation in places of public accommodation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.”

Plessy passed away in 1925 with the conviction still on his record. On January 5, 2022, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards formally pardoned him. Plessy’s descendants stood with the governor and district attorney in New Orleans at the station where Plessy was arrested.

According to The New York Times, as Edwards signed the pardon, he explained he also had a much more ambitious aim: confronting a painful and shameful history Plessy’s case came to represent. “It left a stain on the fabric of our country and on this state and on this city,” Mr. Edwards said. “And, quite frankly, those consequences are still felt today.”

A mural depicting what Homer Plessy may have looked liked stands in New Orlean’s Bywater Art Garden Park.

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This stage show takes you on a journey to the fabled city to chronicle how Memphis Jookin’ emerged from local street dance to international phenomenon.

HAIRSPRAY April 29-May 1 You Can’t Stop the Beat! Broadway’s Tony®-winning musical comedy phenomenon is back on tour! Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60’s” and “Good Morning Baltimore.” Tickets from $15

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thepositivecommunity.com

Winter 2022 Vol. 22 No. 1

Publisher

Adrian A. Council, Sr. Editor-in-Chief

Jean Nash Wells Associate Editor

R. L. Witter Sales

Angela Ridenour Adrian Council, Jr. Marc Williams Satori MPR Cheryl Saunders Austin Fenner Contributing Writers

Glenda Cadogan Fern Gillespie

Contributing Photographers

Vincent Bryant Ryan Council Regina Flemming Bob Gore Raymond Hagans Bruce Moore Wali Amin Muhammad Seitu Oronde Karen Waters Art Direction & Layout

Penguin Design Group Maishman Media, LLC Raymond Hagans Executive Assistant

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The Last Word

BY R.L. WITTER

GOD SENDS HIS ANGELS; BE ONE

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. —Proverbs 12:25 ESV

There have been several high-profile suicides in the news recently. Former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst; Hyattsville Mayor Kevin Ward; and Ian Alexander Jr., son of actress, producer, and director Regina King have all taken their own lives in the past few weeks.

As we approach the two-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, too many people are reaching their breaking point. Isolation, job loss, financial stress, and loss of loved ones are weighing heavily on their hearts and loneliness simply doesn’t help. As someone who lives thousands of miles from any blood relatives and many long-time friends, I can attest to the importance of actual human contact. Sending a “How are you?” text or email is quick and convenient, but an actual phone call is likely more beneficial. The recipient can hear the care in the caller’s voice and the caller can possibly hear any anxiety, depression, or despair in the recipient’s voice.

Despite successfully avoiding COVID thus far, my husband was ill recently and his ongoing recovery has been long and difficult; Hubby was hospitalized for just over one month. I spent 6–10 hours daily at his bedside, advocating for the care he required to make a full recovery. I’d return home after 9 o’clock nightly to my one, daily meal: a bowl of cereal. When the cereal ran out, I was too tired to shop, so I ate crackers, peanut butter, and made smoothies from frozen fruit.

It became easy to miss text messages and emails because I was so overwhelmed, I often didn’t have time to check for them. Then, it became a choice. It was easier not to respond because I simply didn’t want to discuss the situation. My only interactions were with Hubby and the various medical professionals and insurance representatives working with us. Exhausted, I let the housekeeping slip a bit, then my hair looked a bit wilder than usual, and my clothes were definitely wrinkled and mismatched. The only constants in my life were prayer and my love for The Lord.

To my surprise, one of Hubby’s best friends was waiting for me at the hospital entrance as I left one day. “Tomorrow I’m going to sit with him until 3 o’clock and then you can come,” he said. “That way, you’ll have time to work, sleep, shop, or just do whatever you need to do.” I was flabbergasted. Every day after that, the friend “took the day shift.” I worked until three then headed to the hospital until they kicked me out at nine.

Hubby was finally discharged on a Friday afternoon. I was cooking, cleaning, bathing him, paying medical bills, coordinating home nurse visits three times weekly, surgeon appointments once weekly, physical therapists coming and going, keeping food and supplies stocked, and trying to remain employed. I found anxiety and depression quickly approaching. The friend and his wife appeared at our door regularly to offer help or a shoulder to cry on—whichever I needed most at the moment. Often, we didn’t even speak. Just knowing someone cared enough to check on us and offer comfort and assistance was enough to keep me going. It turned out Hubby wasn’t the only one who needed help to begin healing. I am blessed to say four months later they are still coming by regularly.

Check on your friends and loved ones. Remind them you care and they are important. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” —Romans 12:15 ESV