Art

In Colorizing the Characters in ‘Hamilton,’ Playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda Whitewashes History

But he should also make sure we all know Hamilton was no hip-hop hero, just another founding slave holder. Miranda’s color change doesn’t change history, nor make it less distasteful.

Published

2 years ago

June 17, 2021

Isabelle Price

Photo of Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton courtesy of cinemablend

Is there any doubt that Ishmael Reed is Oakland’s writer of conscience and consequence?

He was my teacher in graduate school at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. From him I learned a number of truisms about writing. Like, for me, when in doubt, put in the Filipinos. Don’t take them out! Another one was career advice. The more money you make, the less you get to say. Conversely, the less you make, the more you get to say. And that brings me to the topic of this column.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “In the Heights,” opened the movie version of the musical last week. It’s a gushing hydrant of diversity. It should make a lot of money. But when I talked to him a few weeks back I wanted to talk about his other monster hit, “Hamilton,” where Miranda applied what I call a little affirmative action. He put the Black and the Brown actors in the white parts.

The Founding Fathers got “Hamiltoned.” Revolutionary?

“Well, it’s interesting,” he said. “The idea when I picked up the book was it’s an R&B hip-hop musical so, of course, Black and Brown actors would play those roles. As I’m reading the book the first time, I’m picturing which of my favorite hip-hop artists should play Hercules Mulligan or George Washington. They were always people of color, and the music reflects that…I was sort of more surprised that everyone was surprised when we finally came out.”

“I think it kicks open the door,” he added. “Why are we so literal when it comes to this stuff? And you know, I see Shakespeare with people of every ethnicity playing the roles. Why can’t that be the case with our founders? We know what they look like – they’re on our f***ing money. So, like, let’s move forward here. But I think once you see a show that has had the diversity that we have on stage, it’s very hard to go back to sort of these all-white productions because you’ve got to ask why, what stories aren’t we getting when you see that?”

You still have to ask what you’re getting. Miranda got comfortable enough to cuss and didn’t like the term “affirmative action.” But was he rehabbing Hamilton, making him and the others better than they were by applying the hip-hop beat?

It was the perfect opening to ask a question about Reed, the MacArthur ‘genius’ award-winning novelist, satirist, and playwright who last year wrote “The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda,” a play that takes Miranda to task for the failure to highlight the real history of Hamilton.

Hamilton and his in-laws, the Schuyler family, were slave owners.

Miranda may have given the actors some tone, but the historical soul remains the same. Just obscured. Reed sees Miranda as duped by the Hamilton biography by Ron Chernow, which Miranda used as the main source for his skin-deep musical that glosses over our racist founders.

“I think seducing thousands of children and even the inaugural poet Amanda Gorman into believing that Hamilton and the Schuyler girls were ‘ardent abolitionists,’ must rank as a cultural crime,” Reed said to me.

As I asked Miranda my question about Reed, the PR rep cuts in: “We are actually out of time.”

Then Miranda says, “I got a long schedule, sorry. Thank you.”

It would have been interesting to hear his answer, with “Hamilton” beginning a new tour in August.

But this is megabuck showbiz, and the PR juggernaut must go on.

So, Miranda wiggled his way out. He could have answered. I gave him a shot.

Then again, Miranda’s got this new property to sell that’s a lot more cleansing and joyful. “In the Heights” is the feel-good movie of the post-pandemic, you know. All the fire hydrants are gushing.

But he should also make sure we all know Hamilton was no hip-hop hero, just another founding slave holder. Miranda’s color change doesn’t change history, nor make it less distasteful.

In fact, the 2021 tour for “Hamilton” is coming to San Francisco, Sacramento and San Jose for multiple-week runs in August through October.

Will he come clean by then? Or come up with a new song? In the meantime, you should read Reed’s “The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda.” There’s no music to wash away the truth.

Emil Guillermo is a veteran Bay Area journalist and commentator. He vlogs at www.amok.com Twitter @emilamok

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Oakland Celebrates Hiero Day 2023, Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Hip-Hop

Thousands of music fans showed up at Oscar Grant Plaza Monday, Sept. 4 to celebrate the 11th annual Hiero Day block party and commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, featuring the Souls of Mischief, Oakland native Kev Choice, Mister F.A.B. and a special guest appearance by Common.

Published

12 hours ago

September 27, 2023

Oakland Post

Common was honored on Hiero Day at by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and Deputy Mayor Kimberly Mayfield. Photo courtesy of Ariel Nava.

By Post Staff

Thousands of music fans showed up at Oscar Grant Plaza Monday, Sept. 4 to celebrate the 11^th annual Hiero Day block party and commemorate the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop, featuring the Souls of Mischief, Oakland native Kev Choice, Mister F.A.B. and a special guest appearance by Common.

Hosted by the City of Oakland and Mayor Sheng Thao, the free event showcased over 30 live performances on three stages, including legendary, underground and undiscovered performers of hip-hop, R&B and other genres.

Souls of Mischief is part of the rap collective Hieroglyphics, which founded Hiero Day and this year celebrated its 30^th anniversary.

“HIERO DAY (is) a driving force in the music festival culture in Oakland,” according to event organizers. “The event is widely regarded as a day to celebrate independent hip-hop music and serves as a Labor Day destination being one of the largest hip-hop music gatherings in the Bay Area.”

The event was held at Jack London Square last year, but this year, it moved to the plaza in front of Oakland City Hall, reflecting its new connection with the Mayor’s Office and the City of Oakland.

“I’m so grateful to be here in Oakland,” said Common said after receiving a “heavyweight champion” belt and proclamation from Mayor Thao. “Y’all inspired us … The music, the culture — Hieroglyphics influenced me.”

Said Mayor Thao: “Oakland is the heart of the Bay Area’s music, art and culture scene, and I am so grateful for all the work our Hiero Day organizers did to celebrate it.”

The City of Oakland this year is hosting three events to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop, including the collaboration with event organizers of Hiero Day. A special event was held on Sept. 10 to honor “50 years of women rooted in hip-hop,” including Pam the Funkstress, the Conscious Daughters, Traci Bartlow, and Mystic and Black.

Art

Thornton Dial: A Visionary Artist Ahead of His Time

Published

2 months ago

July 26, 2023

Oakland Post

Thornton Dial. Wikimedia photo.

By Tamara Shiloh

Thornton Dial, a pioneering American artist, left an indelible mark on the art world with his expressive and monumental works. Born on Sept. 10, 1928, in Emelle, Alabama, Dial’s artistic journey began in the late 1980s when he gained prominence for his assemblages of found materials, executed on a grand scale. His works encompass a wide range of subjects, from human rights to natural disasters and current events, reflecting a deep engagement with history and social issues.

Growing up in poverty on a former cotton plantation, Dial was raised by his teenage mother, Mattie Bell. It was his time spent with his second cousin, Buddy Jake Dial, a farmer and sculptor, that ignited his passion for art. Dial’s early experiences of witnessing the art created from everyday objects in people’s yards during his move to Bessemer, Alabama, fascinated him and instilled in him a deep appreciation for craft and creativity.

For many years, Dial worked as a metalworker at the Pullman Standard Plant in Bessemer, Alabama, until its closure in 1981. It was after this that he dedicated himself to his art, creating works for his own pleasure and self-expression.

He encountered Lonnie Holley, an artist who introduced Dial to Atlanta collector and art historian William Arnett. Arnett played a pivotal role in bringing Dial’s work to national prominence, along with other African American vernacular artists, through his efforts as an art historian and the founder of the Souls Grown Deep Foundation.

Dial’s work gained recognition in major cultural institutions and exhibitions, including the 2000 Whitney Biennial. His art resonated with viewers, addressing American sociopolitical issues such as war, racism, bigotry, and homelessness.

Through his assemblages, Dial incorporated a wide array of found materials, creating layered and textured compositions. His use of objects like bones, rope, and scrap metal added depth and symbolism to his works, reflecting the history and struggles of the rural South.

The tiger motif became a prominent symbol in Dial’s art, representing survival and the struggle for civil rights in the United States. Over time, Dial’s work began to be acknowledged as “first-rate, powerful Art” by critics such as Karen Wilkin of The Wall Street Journal. Dial’s unique artistic vision and his ability to merge materials into captivating and meaningful compositions led to his recognition as a contemporary artist.

Dial’s work can be found in notable collections worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where ten of his works were acquired in 2014. He passed away in 2016, but his legacy lives on, inspiring artists and viewers alike to explore the transformative power of art.

Thornton Dial’s contributions to the art world, his commitment to expressing social issues, and his ability to create captivating compositions from found materials cement his position as a visionary artist ahead of his time.

Source: https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/dial-thornton-1928-2016/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thornton_Dial

Image:

By copyright Jerry Siegel – Original publication: Garden & GunImmediate source: http://gardenandgun.com/article/thornton-dial, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49514861

Art

Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) Receives IMLS Grant to Expand its MoAD in the Classroom Program

The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco has recently been awarded one of 34 Museum Grants for African American History and Culture from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and was one of only two organizations to receive the full $500,000 award amount this year.

Published

2 months ago

July 19, 2023

Oakland Post

As one of the only museums in the world that exclusively celebrates the art and history of the African Diaspora, MoAD is uniquely positioned to respond to the San Francisco Unified School District’s expected 2023-2024 roll out of a newly-created and pioneering Black Studies Curriculum as well as new mandates from the California Department of Education that require classroom teachers to incorporate art into core subjects.

By Nina Sazevich

The two-year grant will support the expansion of the Museum’s acclaimed MoAD in the Classroom (MIC) educational outreach program, an arts-based, visual literacy, and cultural studies program for underserved third and fourth-grade public school students and their teachers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the majority of school districts across the state of California, only 10% to 25% of students engage in some form of arts education, which research has shown significantly supports student academic achievement and student success toward high school graduation. Without dedicated art teachers on staff however, many educators are without the training and resources to teach the arts.

The IMLS grant allows MoAD to rapidly create and expand high quality digital content to expand the program beyond the Museum’s local geographic area while continuing to support and serve the approximately 1,500 students and teachers currently participating each year.

These digital assets, accessed through a portal on the Museum’s website, will support teachers with extensive lesson plans, instructional videos, and virtual 360-degree exhibition tours, potentially reaching thousands of additional students in California and beyond each year.

The funding also allows the Museum to pilot an expansion to support students and teachers in grades 5-10 and extend its reach through a partnership with the San Francisco Public Library.

“Art education provides a means for self-expression, cultivates cultural pride, and unleashes the creative potential within every child,” says Demetri Broxton, senior director of education at MoAD. “Yet, students of color in lower-income neighborhoods have the least access to it. MoAD in the Classroom and the grant from IMLS addresses this disparity, ensuring that the arts flourish as an integral part of education, enabling every student to thrive and help shape a brighter future for all.”

“IMLS is proud to support museums and cultural organizations doing important work to increase access to the stories of inspiring people, events, and experiences, at the center of African American history,” said IMLS Director Crosby Kemper. “Our Museum Grants for African American History and Culture demonstrate the commitment to preservation and promoting education of the rich cultural heritage across this country.”

Nina Sazevich is the media relations director for MoAD.