Jeff Revels, Artistic Director: You know when something is telling you to sit up and pay attention- it happens all the time with issues that require all of us working together- domestic and foreign and it is absolutely overwhelming, but you know that is no excuse to not try to do something. Well, lately, the Civil Rights movement in our country has been popping up in very strong ways in my orbit. It is the 50th anniversary of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and I saw an incredible exhibit at the Newseum in DC. AND, we are theming our annual student writing contest here at The REP, Writes of Spring, to Civil Rights where students (K-12) write an essay, poem, or short story with the prompt I (can) make a difference by... with the idea that one person can affect change. Those gathered entries will be made into a play in the spring where we will also honor one of Central Floridas Civil Rights champions, very active in the 60s, Robert Petree. And, then I read the book ONE CRAZY SUMMER with my son, which is a chapter book focusing on three girls caught in the middle of the movement in 1964, and then I see that Rollins College is bringing Andrew Young, famous Civil Rights leader and former US Ambassador to the UN, to town to speak in January. Then, I read a picture book with my children titled CHILD OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, and discover it was written by Andrew Youngs daughter. And flipping through The Hollywood Reporter, I see an article about Bob Dylans efforts to the cause. And, then I read the Tony-winning Best Play script ALL THE WAY, which is about LBJs first year as President and how he managed to pass the Civil Rights Act! Then, I see it is the birthday of Ruby Bridges, who we all will recognize, captured so incredibly by Norman Rockwell. And, then Ferguson is on our news channels in 2014. I dont know what all this means yet, but I have to link these events together somehow in a way that makes the most sense from where I sit. When the article from Hollywood Reporter came my way this morning, I knew that ALL of this together is telling me something. We did make a difference 50 years ago, it is time to do better 50 years later. Attached are some of the items making their way to me! And this quote from the National Womens Law Center:Join us in wishing a happy birthday to Ruby Bridges, the first African American child to attend an all-white school in the south! As she has said in her civil rights work, racism is a grown-up disease and we must stop using our children to spread it.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:47:43 +0000
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