Cleavon Smith Debates the Ways and Means of Racial Progress by Jennifer Ann Charron Students rally frequently at UC Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza. During protests, University Police are often called to seal off buildings and to “protect” people and property. All too often police clash with impassioned students in predictable outcomes. Playwright Cleavon Smith wisely…
Fred Pitts Links Black and Native American History by Patricia L. Morin Using his personal tour of the 21 Spanish missions across California, soft-spoken Fred Pitts has fashioned an intriguing, three-dimensional show that unveils centuries of corruption and bigotry aimed at Native Americans. By mixing California history, personal encounters, and surprising interactions with other…
L. Peter Callender Celebrates Black WWII Pioneers by Robert M. Gardner “Black Eagles” opens at a 90s reception honoring General Colin Powell, attended by three surviving WWII Black fighter pilots. As the veterans retell their war stories, they chide each other about how their stories have grown in 50 years. “Black Eagles” reveals the…
World Class Musical Shows Black & Irish Lives Matter by Jennifer Ann Charron It’s rare to witness a momentous new musical. My shoulders clench and my jaw drops, like a dumb-struck child. That’s me watching “Paradise Square: A New Musical” that tells the history of Black and Irish people living together in Manhattan—just before…