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North Carolina Shcool of the Arts
THE N.C. ESSAY
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A COMMENT ON
THE SECOND BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL, MAY 4 & 5
THE SECCOND ANNUAL BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL will be
presented May 4th and 5th at the CARVER HI SCHOOL Auditorium.
Portions of this year’s festival will be aired on VIEWPOINT, a local
T.V. progran on WXII Channel 12 between 1 and 2 pjn., Saturday,
AprU 28. This year’s production is sponsored bv the N.C.S.A. Student
CouncU, MODEL CITIES CULTURAL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM,
and the CITY RECREATION DEPARTMENT. Admission is free and
the public is invited.
As a result of comments and questions I have encountered in the
past few weeks, I will try to clear up the purposes and objectives of the
BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL. First of all the BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL
doesn’t mean an ANTI-WHITE FESTIVAL. This festival does not
now, nor did it ever intend to reflect any racist attitudes of the Black
Artist on campus. This is not a rebellion nor are we trying to make any
statements, be any saviors of humanity, save Black people or start or
express any kind of artistic revolution.
As you may have noted in previous articles, I express concern for
the awareness of N.C.S.A. student in relation to Black Theatre, Black
Literature, Black History and etc. Hiat concern is still present, but the
roots extend beyond the boundaries of the campus. It must go beyond
the boundaries of school and into the community. Talking about the
lack of Black classes won’t teach the history of a free people. Con
stantly complaining to Deans and Administrators won’t teach students
the knowledge that I feel should be taught here. I definitely feel it
should be shared by all students, all faculty members and anything
else that walks, flies or crawls that claim to be human. Talking only
creates a lot of noise and often misunderstandings. Lack of actions
cause a lot of problems I have previously discussed in this column and
actions will cure those ills (if you consider them ills). It is evident
there won’t be a Black Theatre course here this year; thus any student
that is interested in that sect of theatre must discipline himself and do
a lot of independent study. Students must recognize the need for a
knowledge of all people and all cultures in order to relate to and un
derstand all types of people.
I believe the culture of 33million people can no longer be overlooked,
but the solution lies with the Black Artist. Thus we proudly present the
SECOND ANNUAL BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL. 11118 year cir
cumstances dictate that the entire production is student directed. We
must continue this until members of the school administraton un
derstand this is probably the best public relations possible, as far as
contact with the Black community is concerned. This must be con
tinued until administrators understand why the auditorium was full of
the people darker than blue at the previous B.A.F. and why very few
have bothered to attend any other school functions, regardless of the
artistic quality and thousands of dollars spent. Why did so many
people come see a fifty dollar show (on a $50.00 budget) and why have
they not returned?
One of the first lies I heard when I entered N.C.S.A. was that the
Blacks were not interested in the artistic endeavors of the school, but I
believe the truth is, the artistic endeavors of the school are not in
terested in the darker audience. When will we be able to see the
meaning of the long lines of Blacks all over the country, waiting to see
the cheaped up, raped up, super niggerish films that have been
recently released in the name of liberation. Do these lines reveal a
people uninterested in the Arts or a people so hungry for the arts they
feast on anything MGM puts out and labels “heritage.” To me, these
lines reveal proof that MY people are ready and waiting for universal
and SELF study and exposure to the arts, but are the artist concerned
oiough and ready to be exposed to the people, all prople. Does this
audience count? No, we can’t all afford to give big grants to the
colleges and universities all over the counti^, but we can offer (and
are willing to give) unlimited appreciation for any artistic
achievements put before us, and we only ask to INCLUDE us.
Members of the Black student body have often come under heavy
criticism from the community. We have often been accused of being
totally white-washed and never doing anything for the conununity and
I liiinK we haven’t been criticized unjustly. Please note that the only
segregation we have participated in has been a segregation of a
knowledge of SELF. It is easy for faculty and administrators to think
that because you are Black you are es^wsed to a knowledge of self, but
if that is the case, why do other students study their cultures so in
tensely? Why are other students required to study so much literature
reflecting the artistic developments of their past and present. I don’t
mind being required to study universal literature, but I only say that if
I must study about other people to get a degree, then those other
people should be required to study about me to get their deff ee. To me
this is only fair, this is only logical for any human being that has any
pride or intelligence. No, I am not asking for separate teachings of any
artistic cultures, I humbly ask to be included, not integrated.
In the last few weeks students have asked me specific questions that
I will now direct my attentions to.
WHY A BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL?
We are having a Black Arts Festival for the same reasons any other
productions on campus are produced. The only difference is that it is a
show showing artistic development of people that just happen to be
darker than blue. I hope that in the future there will be no need for a
B.A.F. Anytime (this has happened over and over again) community
people come up to me and ask me “When are ya’ll gonna do anything
we can come see”, then it is time for a Black Arts Festival. This is not
an attempt to separate from any school functions but merely an op
portunity to show the artistic developments of an often forgotten
people. We must make the choice about how we want to be seen as
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artist. We must not be fooled into thinking that philosophyizing about
the BLACK THEATRE REVOLUTION is going to bring any
meaningful changes. We must get off our butts and show what we want
to be seen and do what we want to be done. We want to be involved in
the universal arts. We cannot afford to flunk our matriculation
examination for artistic integration in the universe. We must NOW
make definite decisions about our place in OLD Glory as Human
Beings, as BLACKS and as artists. We must set our goals and try to
reach them, depending on SELF and no one else for liberal hands. We
must not loose contact with the community because no tree can grow
without the help of its roots. Tliis year we are placing a great deal of
emphasis on the community to make this festivd a success (notice our
outside sponsors this year).
ARE WHITES EXCLUDED FROM THE BLACK ARTS
FESTIVAL?
No, this is not the case now and never has been out of intention. Our
main purposes have been to display the Black Artist and artistic forms
to the community and let them make their own judgments. Our true
selves can only be shown by showing the forces that molded us into our
present shapes. This has been achieved by many outside forces and
certainly WHITES have played a significant role in the development
of the present conditions of BLACI&. To tell the complete story we
must use all forces involved. Our main concern is that the true story is
told. As I said before, we are not trying to exclude anyone, only to
include ourselves. As far as revolutions are concerned, the most
revolutionary thing we can do as far as theatre is concerned is be true
to the material involved and play it for truth.
WHY IS THERE A LOT OF ANGER IN BLACK PLAYS?
Black plays often represent the feelings of Black people. This
history of us can explain t*’> motivations for any anger shown. Ob
servers often mistake hurt for anger and anger for hurt, but Black
Theater cannot survive on just negative energies. We cannot afford to
do theatre just to show hate, only truths. Negative energies only give
birth to negative results and this is not our goal. We want something
positive to come out of this community project. We want the entire
community to have a greater knowledge, wis^m and understanding
as well as appreciation of us as artists.
I am often told to stop writing articles in this school’s paper because
many individuals believe that these articles are not appreciated by the
majority of students. I am told that only a small minority of students
and faculty read the paper and an even smaller minority pays any
attention to what they have read. I am often told that faculty and
administrators only read to check for grammatical errors and EQUAL
COVERAGE. I am even told that they ignore everything they read.
(Please note ignore is the root of ignorant). Sometimes I am even
called a fool to write articles expressing any king of concern for my
peers. My response for these comments concerning being a fool are
very distinctly and vividly expressed in the words of the late
LORRAINE HANSBERRY, “always have been. A fool who believes
that death is waste and love is sweet and that the earth turns and men
change every day and that rivers run and that people wanna be better
than they are and that flowers smell good and that I hurt terriUy
today, and that hurt is desperation and desperation is energy and that
ENERGY CAN MOVE THINGS.”
H.J. Pankey
s
Pictures:
NO. 1 - “I AM A BLACK WOMAN” (costumed and
background painting by Glenda Wharton)
NO. 2 - “A BLACK ONENESS, A BLACK STRENGTH.
A BLACK BEAUTY.” (costume design by GLENDA
WHARTON)
NO. 3 - “AS-SALAAM* ALAIKUM” (costume and
painting by Glenda Wharton)
NO. 4 - “PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MIND
IS”
NO. 5 - “THIS YEAR’S B.A.F. IS PROBABLY MY
SWANSONG AT N.C.S.A.”
NO. 6 - “THIS YEAR I DO MY OWN ORIGINAL
CHOREOGRAPHY”!!!
NO. 7 & 8 - GENESIS a local POP group will appear in
this year’s festival.
(all costumes are designed by
Glenda Wharton. Painting by G. Wharton)