Under the baobab: New generation picks up from warriors who changed race relations in Happy Valley

In race relations things have changed in Happy Valley.

When I came to Penn State as a guest instructor in 1995, the School of Theatre was an all white department. Four of us came that year. Graham Spanier started his tenure as president of the university. Dan Carter became head of the School of Theatre. Joe Jeffcoat was appointed the director of the Center for the Performing Arts (CPA). I was one of three African American faculty members in the College of Arts and Architecture.

In 1997 I directed “A Raisin in the Sun.” It was the first play written by an African American to be presented on the mainstage at Penn State. My mentor, Grace Hampton, had been a department head in the college a few years earlier. We worked on several projects together including two art exhibits arranged by Ann Shields. Another person of color was Tony Leach, who became a Penn State laureate. He created Essence of Joy, a national treasure. We performed together several times at the Center for African American Culture in New York and once notably for the National Council of the NAACP.

As scarce as African Americans were at the university there fewer in town. The restaurants, retail stores and hotels had no Black employees. When we few met on the street we would greet each as a way of recognizing that we weren’t invisible. Today folks of color, students, staff and faculty often avoid eye contact.

Things began to change. Beverly Lindsay became the first dean of international programs in 1996. The same year, Blannie Bowen became associate dean in Penn State’s Graduate School. Larry Young was head of the Paul Robeson Center, which was not yet at the HUB but housed in an old army building. Jim Stewart was a vice-provost of equity, assisted by Terrell Jones and Tom Poole, a brother from another mother. Deborah Atwater was head of the African and African American Studies Department, which had only two and a half faculty lines. Everybody used to go to the AAAS meetings to give and get support. Professors Bill Ashbury, Bernard Bell, Andrew Jackson, Wilson Moses built up their shoulders for the rest of us to stand on.

Edgar and Barbara Farmer were here and active in the community. Their son, Eric, one of the community’s talented singers, had not yet begun his career. Gary and Lydia Abdullah raised their son Gary Jr., who is now an assistant dean. When I retired in 2014 there were five Black folks on the faculty at SOT and four were tenured. This and other changes resulted from the struggle against white supremacy by some true warriors.

Some of those warriors met this last week at the homegoing service of another one, Alan Payne. The service was presided over by the Albright-Bethune’s new young pastor, Paul McReynolds. Alan’s son, Marc, delivered a beautiful eulogy. It has been about a year since Margie, his wife of 55 years, joined the ancestors.

A few of us old-timers shared remembrances, but the day really belonged to the young folks. Like Gary Jr. they have already picked up the baton. AnnMarie Mingo, Charima Young and Leslie Laing came to pay respects. Others visited in spirit: Tierra Williams, Terry Watson, Divine Lipscomb, Carlos Wiley, the two Deans, Carpenter and Lang. Steve Broadnax, a professor in the SOT, is directing a play on Broadway this fall. Sita Frederick is in Jeffcoat’s role of director of CPA.

From those courageous few, the names now stretch to the horizon. Surrounded by disease, decimated by death, I have forgotten some and misplaced others but, the sun doesn’t set; it kills itself, only to be resurrected fuller at sunrise in the capable hands of our children.

Stay strong and hopeful, brothers and sisters.