(Anywhere but) Home for the Holidays
The last day in the office before the winter holiday break, and time seems to have slowed down. Casual chat in the hall extends. Thirty-second hellos turn into ten, fifteen, twenty minutes of… Continue reading
On Solid Ground: Reflections on an Easter Monday in America
Lamb roast or turkey thighs? Young children could be picky eaters. Maybe I should text my friend and ask, but it was late. They’d be fast asleep. And what about sides? Potatoes? Rice?… Continue reading
Looking at Places Through Artist’s Eyes
This article originally appeared on Shelterforce.org on January 11, 2017. To read the complete article and more pieces on the role of the arts in community development, visit Shelterforce.org. For many visual artists… Continue reading
Germany’s Ferguson Ten Years On: The Unsolved Case of Oury Jalloh
“Oury Jalloh! It was murder!” Every January since 2005, activists from all over Germany have journeyed to the former East, carrying placards and posters bearing the phrase. In the beginning their activities seemed… Continue reading
Hands Up: Black Male Playwrights Turning Art into Activism
The protests that erupted in Ferguson, Missouri, following the killing of an unarmed black teenager at the hands of state police have prompted a group of New York-based playwrights to speak out. Six… Continue reading
English-Free Zone: The Beauty of Language
At Jubilee Market Place on 68th and Freedom Place in Manhattan, a sign hangs just beside the deli counter that reads ‘English-Only Zone.’ It’s not one of those notices you might find scribbled… Continue reading
Forty-One Times (in memory of Trayvon Martin)
40 for free 39 for his sister 38 for his mother 37 for his baby 36 for the half-love at home 35 for the reasons he ran here instead of staying 34 there… Continue reading
A Sad Nobody: Mental Illness and Gun Control
After the Sandy Hook shooting, a statement circulated around Facebook that was falsely attributed to Morgan Freeman about the role of the media in glamorizing perpetrators of gun violence. That the author of… Continue reading
World Premiere: Traumata, Traumatismes by Ousmane Aledji and Agbo-N’koko
“It is not by coincidence that this play is called ‘Traumata’. Actually, I wanted to write something that is positive and reaches towards the future. But can one be optimistic when one is… Continue reading