December 21, 2015

AlumniTheater

Pittsburgh is an especially segregated city, geographically and culturally. And most DIY scenes are overwhelmingly white, by virtue of privilege and microaggression, although people who care know it and try to do the right thing. What this performance reminded me is that the Black Lives Matter movement that I had seen in full strength in many other parts of the country is not some liberal hashtag, political token, or clicktivist banner as so often seems to be the case on the white side of segregation. It is a youth-driven black power movement. And speaking purely aesthetically, it is possibly the most beautiful and potent energy in America. So seeing the black teenagers of Alumni Theater write, choreograph, and sing a daringly honest work forged by racial volatility in dialogue with African diaspora of all generations and locations was breathtaking and inspiring. I wish I could help promote this energy through my local artistic work but it seems like they're doing just fine.

Pittsburgh is an especially segregated city, geographically and culturally. And most DIY scenes are overwhelmingly white, by virtue of privilege and microaggression, although people who care know it and try to do the right thing. What this performance reminded me is that the Black Lives

simpatico

glast

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