Under the baobab: Pay tribute to the many ‘firsts’ during Black History Month

Happy Black History Month II.

We still have major challenges to overcome in diversity, equity and inclusion but, brothers and sisters, we have much to celebrate. We measure progress in justice and equity by marking “ways” where before there was “no way.” In historically segregated America, which discriminated against its Black citizens, that is often measured by “firsts.”

During my life, I have been a witness to many “firsts” in the African American collective experience including the first Black President, Vice President, and Supreme Court Justice (Thurgood Marshall). Soon we hope to see the first African American woman serving on the high court. We celebrated the first African Americans to be awarded Nobel Prizes, Tonys, Pulitzer Prizes in various categories, including one for poetry given to my mentor, Gwendolyn Brooks. We cheered as the Academy Award was given for best actor, actress, supporting actor, screenplay, director. We weren’t born when Hattie McDaniel won for best supporting actress in 1939.

We witnessed the appointment of the first four-star generals in the Air Force and Army, the Black head of the joint chiefs, nearly all cabinet Secretaries. The Secretary of the Army, where many of my ancestors honorably served, is now an African American.

In the ‘50s we were joyous observers while African Americans followed Jackie Robinson (baseball) and Earl Lloyd (basketball) into all of the major professional leagues. They were history. Elder Black men made sure that we, young bloods, got a chance to see them. I remember being dressed in my Sunday best with the other youngsters from church. We were paraded on to the El to travel to Wrigley Field to see Jackie play. It was my first trip out of Bronzeville.

Recently in our community, we have witnessed historic firsts. The first Black elected officials on State College Borough Council (Divine Lipscomb) and board of education (Carline Crevecoeur, first Black woman on the board), Ferguson Township board (Tierra Williams) and multiple elected members on the Patton Township board (Pam Robb, Sultan Magruder). For the first time we have two African American College Deans: B. Steven Carpenter II in the College of Arts and Architecture and Clarence Lang in Liberal Arts. Sita Frederick is the first woman of color to be the director of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State. Greg Drane was the first African American to lead the Blue Band. James Franklin is the first African American to be named permanent head coach of the football team. Incoming Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi is not African American but she is the first woman and first person of color to be named to the position.

The State Theatre is providing us an opportunity to celebrate another first. To commemorate Black History Month, on Feb. 26 at 12:55 p.m. the theater will rebroadcast, “Fire Shut Up In My Bones,” an opera composed by Terrence Blanchard based on Charles Blow’s memoir. It was the first opera composed by an African American to be presented on the mainstage of New York’s Metropolitan Opera. It is co-directed by James Robinson and Camille Jones, who also the opera’s choreographer and is the first African American woman to direct a Met mainstage production.

“Fire” explores themes of sexual identity and masculinity centered on a defining moment in Charles’ life. It tells a profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. At the age of seven, Charles was molested by an older cousin. The opera opens with Charles planning to kill his cousin. Throughout the opera, he is visited by Destiny and Loneliness, female spirits who attempt to dissuade him. During intermission there will be a step dance performance by The Divine Nine. After the film there will be a panel discussion with Ted Christopher, Dr. Blair Salter, Tierra Williams and professors Jo and Charles Dumas.

We are the change we want to make.

Ubuntu!