Do any of you live in or near London?
Failing that, do you fancy heading over to the Big Smoke for a brilliant slice of theatre on the 29th May?
My best friend is the producer of Black Messiah; a brand new play about the black civil rights movement in America during the Seventies. Focusing on the short life of Bobby Hutton and his time with the Black Panthers (an extreme black rights group) this play opens up the discussion of human rights, race, faith, youth and activism.
As a young, white environmentalist, learning about the history of racism brings up two main feeling for me.
Firstly, it brings a great feeling of shame of my own race’s historic (and even present) behaviour.
Secondly, it brings a feeling of inspiration and hope. Let me explain.
In my constant fight against pessimism, I often take inspiration from both the black rights movement and the women’s right’s movement because these two heroic struggles prove that paradigms can shift. Society can change. No matter how dead-set in their ways people may seem, nothing lasts forever. When enough people take action and fight for what they believe in, they write history.
At this point I think this quote is relevant:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed, citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ― Margaret Mead
I think the arts and social activism are totally entwined, because social change doesn’t just happen in meetings and boring places like that – it arrives in the midst of living. Art is how humans express their ideas and open people’s minds, how they reflect the world, and how they pose ideas of other ways the world could be.
Creativity is one of those human aspects that we should really treasure, feed and celebrate.
Am I trying to suggest going to the theatre will help hurry along a just and sustainable society?
Possibly. Let’s just say it’s one of the more enjoyable steps along a very long road.
Anyway, enough with my trying to link everything in life to environmentalism.
When and where can you actually see this thing?
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Wed 29th May, 7.30pm
Tickets £10 & £8.50 concessions
Tara Theatre,
356 Garratt Lane, London, SW18 4ES
Box Office 020 8333 4457
http://www.tara-arts.com
http://www.epiphanytheatre.co.uk
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Have a wonderful evening, lovely readers. ~
Earth Baby 