Jinho “Piper” Ferreira Chronicles Black “Justice” in 2024

by Robert M. Gardner

“Love is stronger than Hate, Justice is stronger than Fear.” Jinho “Piper” Ferreira repeats the refrain as he tells a tale about “justice,” recounting  the frightening crimes against Black Americans by the police that go unpunished.

Their names echo: Tamir Rice, 12-years old, shot, by a Cleveland patrolman while carrying a toy gun. Michael Brown was killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri. They broke no laws. But the black victim is demonized, not the police.

It pains us to repeat their names and recall our horror that the police went unpunished. Ferreira’s one man play unfolds how these travesties of justice affect Black men everywhere.

As the lights come up, Ferreira, a muscular Black man with a commanding presence, speaks in the voice of a young woman with a soft southern drawl, the first of his 21 different voices. In his complex play, he shifts voices smoothly and artfully. Superb control!

Ferreira is a force of nature and I was enthralled by his presentation and his ability to change characters using distinctive voices. A master storyteller, he takes us through a wide range of emotions. Well worth your time to check out his unique show at The Marsh.

In his moving and unique play, Ferreira unearths the cultural roots of a Black community. He becomes a young woman who testifies to the strength of family, asserting, “Old Black Women are always right.” Her church going grandmother still ‘reads the bones’ and consults the ancestors.

Police still function as modern-day slave catchers who threaten, maim, and kill African Americans five times more than whites. Slave catchers caught and returned runaways to their plantations. In modern policing, suspects are still beaten or strangled—like George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Ferreira reveals parts of Black reality we don’t often hear about. He shows us how little time you have to react when a gun appears. Police quickly evaluate a crime scene. Then the demonized Black male gets shot—no questions asked

Much of Ferreira’s play-within-a-play focuses on politician’s claims in 2024, as they talk about “institutional racism.” He criticizes the Democrats because they make promises but never deliver. He criticizes the Republicans because they condone brutalizing African Americans to demonstrate they are “tough” on crime.

As the play draws to a close, we hear Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Going to Come,” offering a glimmer of hope. The sounds of Ray Charles singing “America” fills the air.

Is it truly our America? Ferreira makes us sit up and take notice as he dives into the deep-seated racism that plagues our country. He gives us a new “double vision” of the U.S. to pursue.

“Black Men Everywhere!” –written, performed, & directed by Jinho “Piper” Ferreira, at The Marsh, Berkeley. Info: themarsh.org – to October 12, 2014.

Cast: Jinho “Piper” Ferreira.

Banner photo: Jinho “Piper” Ferreira as President Wright. Photos: Kevin Meynell