The problem with you talking about the Broadway show is not that you should "stay in your lane", it's that you should stop spreading misinformation about it. People are not defending the show because there are black people in it. People are defending it because you are only telling part of the story instead of acknowledging everything that is told in the show. And instead of engaging in productive conversations with people who think differently, you're just ignoring them, gathering a very small group of white people and screaming in the faces of black actors that they should be out of work because the show they're in should be "cancelled". You can always have opinions, as long as you tell the whole story, isn't that what you are demanding from the show anyways? To give the full picture? Meanwhile, you just leave a lot of important details out.
As a black woman who actually took part in the action, I can tell you the reason for my participation was exactly because the show itself was not telling the whole story.
As is still too often the case, Black actors were used to show some concession to our part in the story, but by doing so skews the true and very different story of Black "Suffs" at this time in history.
I'm all for productive conversations ~ which I know have been sought with the creators of the show ~ but to know that this musical is being sold to many granddaughters and busloads of school children in what may be their first and only education about "Suffs," then yes, we need the real truth about this historical period rather than this whitewashed production.
Hi, Amanda! Thanks a lot for replying to my comment and show a real interest in actually engaging in conversation.
My problem with all of this is that I keep reading how the show is white washed but all examples given for it are things that are addressed in the show. And even in JD's review, she leaves a lot of information out. I would really like to know more about this topic, but with real information, not misinformation. And believe me that I am willing to listen (or read) about different opinions on this.
And about Suffs being the first and only education some people will get about the historical period, that is an educational problem and I would totally agree if more protests were being held to make sure that the whole story is taught in schools and not just an abbreviated version of it. But the whole focus of the protest is put on a 2 hour show that condenses years of history and at least is introducing the work of black Suffs and it's actually showing how the white ones were only using them to promote their own agenda while segregating them when they didn't serve their purpose (all of this is very explicitly told in more than one song). I think the show serves as the starting point for people to do their own research and learn more about the Suff movement. Not only about Alice Paul, but about everyone.
Love this, Jessie. Your section above on white women reminds me of one of snippets I carry from early grad school, that creating binaries controls *both sides* of the binary, albeit in very different ways. Maybe that's from Judith Butler? But I'm sure many have said it. Thank you for sharing!
Excellent post, Dr. Jessie!
Looking forward to the doc recs!
Spot on.
The problem with you talking about the Broadway show is not that you should "stay in your lane", it's that you should stop spreading misinformation about it. People are not defending the show because there are black people in it. People are defending it because you are only telling part of the story instead of acknowledging everything that is told in the show. And instead of engaging in productive conversations with people who think differently, you're just ignoring them, gathering a very small group of white people and screaming in the faces of black actors that they should be out of work because the show they're in should be "cancelled". You can always have opinions, as long as you tell the whole story, isn't that what you are demanding from the show anyways? To give the full picture? Meanwhile, you just leave a lot of important details out.
As a black woman who actually took part in the action, I can tell you the reason for my participation was exactly because the show itself was not telling the whole story.
As is still too often the case, Black actors were used to show some concession to our part in the story, but by doing so skews the true and very different story of Black "Suffs" at this time in history.
I'm all for productive conversations ~ which I know have been sought with the creators of the show ~ but to know that this musical is being sold to many granddaughters and busloads of school children in what may be their first and only education about "Suffs," then yes, we need the real truth about this historical period rather than this whitewashed production.
Hi, Amanda! Thanks a lot for replying to my comment and show a real interest in actually engaging in conversation.
My problem with all of this is that I keep reading how the show is white washed but all examples given for it are things that are addressed in the show. And even in JD's review, she leaves a lot of information out. I would really like to know more about this topic, but with real information, not misinformation. And believe me that I am willing to listen (or read) about different opinions on this.
And about Suffs being the first and only education some people will get about the historical period, that is an educational problem and I would totally agree if more protests were being held to make sure that the whole story is taught in schools and not just an abbreviated version of it. But the whole focus of the protest is put on a 2 hour show that condenses years of history and at least is introducing the work of black Suffs and it's actually showing how the white ones were only using them to promote their own agenda while segregating them when they didn't serve their purpose (all of this is very explicitly told in more than one song). I think the show serves as the starting point for people to do their own research and learn more about the Suff movement. Not only about Alice Paul, but about everyone.
Love this, Jessie. Your section above on white women reminds me of one of snippets I carry from early grad school, that creating binaries controls *both sides* of the binary, albeit in very different ways. Maybe that's from Judith Butler? But I'm sure many have said it. Thank you for sharing!