Black Lives Matter
Our commitment to building a BETTER BROADWAY SAN JOSE
Like much of the country, our team at Broadway San Jose, A Nederlander Presentation has been horrified in recent weeks by the unjust killing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, and so many others. We have no tolerance for racism, violence, and hatred, and we stand with the movement towards racial justice in America and around the globe.
Broadway San Jose is stepping up to make a pledge to do our part to support the movement, but we first must own several truths. Going forward we intend to use our platform to raise voices that have been suppressed, to work towards a more equal future, and to push our industry forward. We acknowledge that we are still learning, but must take a stand now toward a greater good. Broadway can and must do better.
Last week, our team participated in the #BwayforBLM forum hosted by the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, which inspired and motivated us as never before to hold ourselves and our industry accountable not only for aspiring to true equality, but for amplifying and lauding BIPOC voices onstage and behind the scenes.
You can learn more at the Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s antiracism resources.
This is only the beginning. We plan to continuously reevaluate and improve as we work to listen and grow, but we hope these first steps will lead to lasting change at Broadway San Jose and beyond.
We look forward to seeing you again at the Center for the Performing Arts.
We’d like to use this space to spotlight black artists and activists, and we encourage you to explore what they have to say about our world and their experiences in it. Below is a selection of resources to allow you to read, listen, watch and support with open hearts and minds.
This list is designed as a starting point for conversation. If you have any suggestions to add for any section, please CLICK HERE to send us an email.
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Books & Articles
Read Some Books
In this epic, beautifully written masterwork, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.
Jacqueline Goldsby shows that lynching—a highly visible form of social violence that has historically been shrouded in secrecy—was in fact a fundamental part of the national consciousness whose cultural logic played a pivotal role in the making of American modernity.
Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the world and helps to fuel a nationwide social movement. The New Jim Crow is such a book. Praised by Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier as “brave and bold,” this book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signals a new era of colorblindness.
The Old South lives on at the MacGregor Plantation—in the breeze, in the cotton fields…and in the crack of the whip. Nothing is as it seems, and yet everything is as it seems. Slave Play rips apart history to shed new light on the nexus of race, gender, and sexuality in twenty-first-century America.
Twilight is a stunning work of “documentary theater” that explores the devastating human impact of the five days of riots following the Rodney King verdict.
In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life.
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison.
In The Sword and the Shield, Peniel E. Joseph upends these misconceptions and reveals a nuanced portrait of two men who, despite markedly different backgrounds, inspired and pushed each other throughout their adult lives. This is a strikingly revisionist biography, not only of Malcolm and Martin, but also of the movement and era they came to define.
In How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi takes readers through a widening circle of antiracist ideas—from the most basic concepts to visionary possibilites—that will help readers see all forms of racism clearly, understand their posionous consequences, and work to oppose them in our systems and in ourselves.
In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and “allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to ‘bad people’ (Claudia Rankine).
IWith a perspective that is at once scientific, investigative, and informed by personal experience, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt offers us the language and courage we need to face one of the biggest and most troubling issues of our time. She exposes racial bias at all levels of society—in our neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and criminal justice system.
By the 1890s, Wilmington was North Carolina’s largest city and a shining example of a mixed-race community. It was a bustling port city with a burgeoning African American middle class and a Fusionist government of Republicans and Populists that included black aldermen, police officers and magistrates.
With a foreword by Tim Wise, Raising White Kids is for families, churches, educators, and communities who want to equip their children to be active and able participants in a society that is becoming one of the most racially diverse in the world while remaining full of racial tensions.
Read Some Articles
THE NEW YORKER
“The Death of George Floyd, In Context” by Jelani Cobb
Read OnlineTHE NEW YORK TIMES
“Of Course There Are Protests. The State Is Failing Black People” by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Read OnlineCNN
“This Is How Loved Ones Want Us To Remember George Floyd” by Alisha Ebrahimji
Read OnlineTHE WASHINGTON POST
“You shouldn’t need a Harvard degree to survive birdwatching while black” by Samuel Getachew
Read OnlineELLE
“It’s exhausting. How many hashtags will it take for all of America to see Black people as more than their skin color?” by Rita Omokha
Read OnlineTHE ATLANTIC
“The Case for Reparations” by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Read OnlineMEDIUM
“How to Make This Moment the Turning Point for Real Change” by Barack Obama
Read OnlineThe Simple Dollar
“19 Black-Owned Banks and How to Support Them” by Saphia Lanier
Read Online
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Listen
Time To Listen
STILL PROCESSING
Step inside the confession booth of Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham, two culture writers for The New York Times. They devour TV, movies, art, music and the internet to find the things that move them — to tears, awe and anger. Still Processing is where they try to understand the pleasures and pathologies of America in 2020.
SEEING WHITE
Just what is going on with white people? Police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Acts of domestic terrorism by white supremacists. The renewed embrace of raw, undisguised white-identity politics. Unending racial inequity in schools, housing, criminal justice, and hiring. Some of this feels new, but in truth it’s an old story.
CODE SWITCH
What’s CODE SWITCH? It’s the fearless conversations about race that you’ve been waiting for! Hosted by journalists of color, our podcast tackles the subject of race head-on. We explore how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and everything in between.
JEMELE HILL IS UNBOTHERED
Award-winning journalist and culture critic Jemele Hill interviews the most compelling figures in news, pop culture, politics and sports. Expect unbothered and unfiltered conversations. New episodes every Monday.
HEAR TO SLAY
Hear to Slay is the black feminist podcast of your dreams—compelling conversations curated in only the way black women can. Each week, Roxane Gay and Tressie McMillan Cottom offer uncommonly incisive reads of the politics that shape the world we live in and the popular culture we consume.
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Watch
What To Watch
TWILIGHT: LOS ANGELES
In response to the national crisis in the aftermath of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery (Brunswick, GA), Breonna Taylor (Louisville, KY), and most recently George Floyd (Minneapolis, MN) THIRTEEN’s Great Performances resumes free streaming of Marc Levin’s film adaptation of Anna Deavere Smith’s play “Twilight: Los Angeles.”
THE HATE U GIVE
In this powerful drama based on the best-selling novel, when a teenager witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood friend, she must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.
JUST MERCY
A powerful true story that follows young lawyer Bryan Stevenson and his battle for justice as he defends a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence.
JAMES BALDWIN DEBATES WILLIAM F. BUCKLEY (1965)
The historic debate between James Baldwin v. William F. Buckley Jr. at Cambridge University on the question: “Is the American Dream at the expense of the American Negro?”
AMERICA INSIDE OUT WITH KATIE COURIC
RE-RIGHTING HISTORYKatie Couric travels from Charlottesville to Montgomery to New Orleans, the front lines in the highly controversial battle over removing confederate monuments.
BECOMING
Join former first lady Michelle Obama in an intimate documentary looking at her life, hopes and connection with others as she tours with “Becoming.”
LET IT FALL
John Ridley’s Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992 is the feature documentary that looks at the years and events leading up to the April 1992 riots after the Rodney King verdict. It will be released in theaters on April 21 on both coasts. This film marks ABC News’ first theatrical production and release.
WHEN THEY SEE US
Five teens from Harlem become trapped in a nightmare when they’re falsely accused of a brutal attack in Central Park. Based on the true story.
13TH
Combining archival footage with testimony from activists and scholars, director Ava DuVernay’s examination of the U.S. prison system looks at how the country’s history of racial inequality drives the high rate of incarceration in America.
I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO
Director Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished, Remember This House. It is a journey into black history that connects the Civil Rights movement to #BlackLivesMatter. It questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond
SELMA
From the Oscar-winning producers of 12 Years a Slave and acclaimed director Ava DuVernay comes the true story of courage and hope that changed the world forever.
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Follow
Whom To Follow
RACHEL ELIZABETH CARGLE
Writer and lecturer who explores the intersection between race and womanhood.
EMMANUEL ACHO
Former NFL player and creator of the video series Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.Highly-Recommended Viewing: CLICK HERE
MONIQUE MELTON
An anti-racism educator and host of the Shine Brighter Together podcast, Monique, founded the Shine Brighter Together, which is dedicated to creating healthy relationships & diverse unity.
KALEN ALLEN
Host of OMKalen. YouTube Personality and regular guest on ELLEN.
NIKKOLAS SMITH
The artist behind portraits of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and many others.
BRITTANY PACKNETT CUNNINGHAM
The co-founder of Campaign Zero, a policy platform to end police violence, and a host of Pod Save The People.
DARNELL MOORE
Darnell L. Moore is Editor-at-Large at CASSIUS (an iOne digital platform) and formerly a senior editor and correspondent at Mic. He is co-managing editor at The Feminist Wire and an editor of The Feminist Wire Books (a series of University of Arizona Press).
LAYLA F. SAAD
The author of New York Times Best-Seller Me and White Supremacy, Layla is an esteemed anti-racism educator and international speaker. She also offers master classes in anti-racism and allyship through Good Ancestor Academy, as well as hosting the Good Ancestor podcast that features interviews with culture-shapers.
DERAY MCKESSON
Educator, author, civil rights activist and one of the leading voices in the Black Lives Matter movement.
BLAIR AMADEUS IMANI
The co-host of the America Did What?! podcast and the author of Modern Herstory and Making Our Way Home, Blair is an outspoken queer Muslim activist whose TEDxBoulder talk, “Queer & Muslim: Nothing to Reconcile,” went viral in 2019.
JEREMY O. HARRIS
Broadway Playwright (Slave Play)
JENNÉ CLAIBORNE
A vegan chef and the founder of the Sweet Potato Soul food blog and YouTube channel, Jenné offers easy, affordable and delicious vegan meals with Southern flavors, and she released her cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul, in 2018.
IBRAM X. KENDI
Author of How To Be An Antiracist and Director of the Antiracism Center.
TABITHA BROWN
For vegan recipes served with one of the best smiles on the Internet, turn to Tabitha. Warm, inviting and fun, there’s a reason Essence called her “America’s mom.”
DEJA RILEY
A former backup dancer for Beyonce (NBD!), Deja is the host of PopSugar’s Dance FitSugar and her workouts combine dancing and shadowboxing (she created #DanceOuttheBox), all set to great music and with great motivation.
JESSAMYN STANLEY
Yoga is for Every Body: that is Jessamyn’s philosophy, with the popular yoga instructor creating The Underbelly, an at-home yoga app, writing Every Body Yoga and hosting the Dear Jessamyn advice podcast.
TAE-LEÓN
If you are craving an at-home workout that will have you sweating all over your living room, check out the Standford student’s feed for a wide variety of circuits that target different body parts and live workouts.
COURTNEY QUINN
You’d be hard-pressed to find a brighter and more colorful Instagram feed than Courtney’s, with the Color Queen committing to a new color each month and committing to it through fashion, photoshoots and more.
LES ALFRED
Through her Balanced Black Girl podcast, Les highlights and discusses the wellness industry from a Black woman’s perspective, welcoming other Black women to talk about their experiences and expertise.Special thanks to E! Online correspondent Tierney Bricker whose original online post inspired many of the above recommended personalities to follow.
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Support
Show Your Support
BROADWAY FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER AGAIN
Broadway For Black Lives Matter is returning with a three-part forum for the Broadway community to heal, listen, and hold itself accountable to its history of white supremacy while moving towards becoming an anti-racist and equitable space. June 10th, 11th, & 12th. Sign up for information by clicking MORE INFO.
BLACK LIVES MATTER
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
SUPPORT THESE BLACK-OWNED FOOD BUSINESSES IN BAY AREA
Courtesy of the SF Chronicle, here’s a list of Black-owned restaurants, pop-ups and caterers in the Bay Area.
NAACP – SAN JOSE
In 1942, the Santa Clara County Branch was formed including members in local cities from San Jose to the northern boundaries of Santa Clara county. In 1951, President Emmitt Dollarhyde requested a permanent injunction that the City of San Jose bar all future minstrel shows in the Civic Auditorium.
REGISTER TO VOTE
Deadline to Register: October 20, 2020
Support Black-Owned Businesses: 181 Places to Start Online
Racial and wealth disparities in the United States have been thrown into sharp relief by the COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest throughout 2020. We see more clearly than ever just how often Black business owners and creatives have been thought of as less than their Caucasian counterparts – and Black businesses are paying the price.