Paladin history chapter on the great Harriet Tubman. Most of my Harriet Tubman education begins and ends at the Underground Railroad. And then the Civil War ends, slavery is abolished, Tubman raises her hands in triumph, fade out, roll credits. I think we don’t go further and talk about what happened to her after the Civil War because it is just too extreme. Like if you wrote Tubman’s whole story in a script, you would get notes from the studio executive. “OK, these villains are too villainous. Why do they keep trying to destroy her?!? The war is over, she’s a war hero, must we continue on this same note of hate?!? ‘ Yes and no. The villains become more villainous, but also Tubman rises to the occasion. Again and again and again. Her story -in its highs and lows- is so extreme you’ll either want to flip a table or light a candle. And in trying to digest the full scope and go on with life as a functioning adult…hope is the only way. You can’t hold the bitterness because she didn’t. Tubman was too busy building housing for elderly black people abandoned by society, going on speaking tours to raise money handicapped and formerly enslaved ppl deemed ‘worthless.’ She was too busy organizing rallying for the suffragists to help all women while half of the ppl in the movement didn’t want her because of her race. She was too busy appealing, organizing, fighting for others. It was never about ‘just’ her, it was always about freedom other black ppl, other women, other Americans. Light a candle for Moses. Her spirit means the Underground Railroad continue through Jim Crow, through the civil rights movement, through the backlash and rollbacks. We continue on.
A funny neighborhood play and an incomplete existential metaphor adapted for today’s audience. Balusters and Emporium are showing the artistic range of nyc theatre. Trying not to write any spoilers for either one but grateful and enriched by both.
My sister asked if I could enhance some pics of our grandparents from the 1950s as well as my grandmother’s work permit card (if you were blk you needed a work permit card to be on Miami Beach and they would arrest you if you there after the sun had set). So here is Mema and Opa (they even got Opa’s gold tooth)
I’ve never seen the movie but I’m here for the musical version of THE LOST BOYS. Funny, action packed with smooth stage choreo and innovative staging, beautiful harmonies. Ppl flying and floating in wires with such ballet ease. Hats off to sound design and actors’ singing with clear enunciation and diction. I could hear the lyrics of every song…every song. If there is such a thing as a summer blockbuster family musical then this is it…with vampires and 80s nostalgia with some small moments of camp. Interested in seeing how this will play with ppl who know the movie but I enjoyed it!
