People of Color and the Arts

So, I have been meaning to write blogs on my thoughts, feelings, and encounters with the world in my head, as well as, the outside world. So many things in my head so I am using this avenue as a catharsis to release the mental baggage. I figured I would begin the Arts. Here we go...

I recently saw an interesting performance by Groovaloo at the Joyce theatre in Chelsea. The show explored the dancers' stories using hip hop dance as the platform. The "hip hop" dancers (mostly white (FYI) with sprinkles of color here and there) showcased their hip hop moves and choreography. The dances, not so bad. But I really couldn't get over how all these white people on stage were parading around displaying hip hop dances for all the white people in the audience who frequent the Joyce. (I have been to the Joyce several times and whenever I go I find that usually I, the person I am with, and the staff are definitely in the minority).

I sat as the whites in the audience cheered and clapped the dancers on. All I could think about was hip hop culture itself and what being a man of color means in the hip hop world. It was more than the presentation put on for these people. Hip hop started with the beautiful Black and Hispanics who expressed themselves through dance, art, grafitti, word. Rap music was born. Rap was the call and Breakdancing was the response. How could they possibly understand the struggles of a generation that used hip hop as an escape, some as a ticket out? All they saw was the pretty picture in each dance move.

While the dancers danced, a narrative of their stories was spoken in the background. One woman's stood out to me. She was a woman of the Caucasian persuasion claiming how she wanted to sing soul music. She goes on to say her family and friends claimed, "I want to be black...and they were right. I did want to be black. I wanted to sing soul." *SMH* So Blacks are the only people who sing soul? That's like someone telling me, "I want to be Puerto Rican or Asian so bad."How about we be proud of who we are as humans and not trying to wish we were something other, like race? I don't get it. I've never said "Oh how I wish I were white." I am proud of who I am and what experiences I have faced. They have led me to be the wonderful young man which I am. I wouldn't change that. How about we learn about each other's cultures and embrace them instead of trying to appropriate them?

I figured this Groovaloo performance to be a way for the white people in the audience to feel like they had a connection to hip hop culture. While nice, the spectacle seemed a bit contrived. All I could seem to think about was how receptive would the audience have been if Blacks or Hispanics were on stage Riverdancing or performing Chinese traditional dances? I'm sure the dynamics would be different.

Also, while I am on people of color and the Arts, I want to comment about my experiences with frequenting galleries around the Chelsea and Beacon, NY area. The "white box" often a title used for gallery spaces has proven to be a lil discriminate. It is an uncomfortable feeling to walk into galleries and feel like the pink elephant in the room. I often find myself and my closest friend are often the only "polka-dots" there. Why don't I see people of color in galleries? I mean most of the work I've seen shown has all been by Black or Hispanic artists and the the people viewing and capitalizing off of the work are mostly white, so why aren't we supporting our people? The reactions I usually get are: stares, people often looking at me like I must have stepped into the wrong venue, or ignored.

One particular memory comes to mind. This past May I visited the galleries on Main Street in Beacon, NY. I walked into the Arts center and was astonished at the response me and my friend were welcomed with. It was a pastels exhibit. The curator for the show thought it necessary to explain what pastels were (keep in my mind my friend is an artist) *we look at eachother trying to ignore* As we walk through the center and view the amazing work. He brings up to the curator that he is an artist. Her response: Oh we have African Americans show work in February for Black History Month. *Really Lady!!! First, he is Native American and Brazilian. Next, what an insult that you would only consider works by an artist of color on Black History Month* She then looks at me and says, "Oh and we do something nice for Latins in October." That should have been my cue to educate this woman but I was so shocked by her responses that we just looked at each other and walked out. Is this how we think in 2009? Now, I had to wonder, if this is how she thinks how many other individuals I have come in contact with at the galleries think the same way? I mean their nonverbal communication speaks volumes to my mind, but darn!When will we learn as a people to be accepting? When will we learn that they must not exploit us and capitalize off of us (art, music, reality tv!) ! We must take a stand for ourselves.

So I say to my beautiful people of various shades and colors, go visit an art gallery or theatre and support our artists, our dancers, our actors, our people!