One might expect “Our Time: A Conversation in Black and White,” a play performed recently at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, to generate some discomfort, as artistic endeavors about controversial topics often do. But criticism of the play came from a surprising direction following the opening night’s production.
The play, written and produced by Lynn Felder (a former features editor at the Journal), depicts a fictitious meeting between a black civil rights activist and a white supporter of the Confederate monument that once stood in downtown Winston-Salem. They argue, snipe, fight and somehow find a way to express a little compassion toward each other.
Oh, if only it were that easy. No doubt the play’s resolution is simplistic. Probably unrealistic.
But local activist groups Hate Out of Winston and Winston-Salem Democratic Socialists of America found even more to dislike. Their leaders claim that the play whitewashes local history about the removal of the Confederate monument, the Journal’s Fran Daniel reported Saturday.
“It’s not that we don’t respect art, but we don’t respect art that promotes white supremacy,” said Miranda Jones, who spoke on behalf of Hate Out of Winston.
The mind boggles. It’s absurd to think that the play promotes white supremacy.
It does promote conversation, which requires listening, even to people who we consider offensive and wrong.
And it promotes kindness.
“The conflict between white supremacists and the community members that rallied against the statue is not a ‘misunderstanding,’ nor is it a conflict that can be resolved by conversation. We reject this framing, as well as any framing that calls on us to ‘just get along.’ The call for mutual understanding with neo-Confederates and their sympathizers is, at best, naïve and, at worst, an attempt to uphold the status quo and distract attention from important efforts,” the activist groups said in a statement.
We agree that, when reaching for justice, more than conversation is required.
But conversation must be the starting point. Starting with condemnation repeats the sin of discrimination.
Some today hesitate to broach sensitive topics like race for fear of embarrassment or unintentional offense — so their questions remain unanswered and distortions grow.
That’s all the more reason Felder should be praised — for her courage in presenting a dialogue and for her empathy, finding the humanity of each character in the play — the humanity that exists in each of us.
Jones said that Felder didn’t reach out to activists who worked to bring the statue down.
The removal of the statue was a major accomplishment for its prime mover, Hate Out of Winston, and a gift to our city. We’re grateful for the organization’s leadership.
But though she may not have placed a call to Hate Out of Winston, Felder did speak to faith leaders, various black artists and leaders of cultural art organizations, including Triad Cultural Arts and Delta Arts Center.
“To develop dialogue, I interviewed both liberals and conservatives, both black and white,” Felder told the Journal.
The sad fact is that many who want to find resolutions to racial injustice are going to have to do so without the benefit of Hate Out of Winston’s guidance. This one organization can’t be the gatekeeper for every conversation.
In response to the criticism, Felder said: “I am in awe of the hard and important work that Hate Out of Winston is doing in the community. I wish I had reached out to them to talk about the play. I am trying to educate myself and to put myself in the service of justice, peace, equality and equity. I want to know what I can do to further the cause of getting the Hate Out of Winston.”
That’s a very gracious response, and one that we hope will lead to further discussion.
The Arts Council leadership should also be commended for confronting racial issues through its support of this play and its support of exhibits like “When the Revolution Comes” and “Black Culture Pop-Up Museum,” which recently opened at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts.
As legislators across the nation seek to make it illegal to teach some concepts that are essential to our racial dialogue, we count on our artists, our intellectuals and our local civil rights organizations to promote the conversation.
— Winston-Salem Journal