University of Massachusetts Amherst ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 1-1-2004 Refusing to be silent : tracing the role of the black woman protector on the American stage/ Brandon LA Hutchinson University of Massachusetts Amherst Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1 Recommended Citation Hutchinson, Brandon LA, "Refusing to be silent : tracing the role of the black woman protector on the American stage/" (2004). Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014. 916. https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_1/916 This Open Access Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations 1896 - February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact [email protected]. University of CllpJ -^ assacnuset:ts ^fil^ Amherst Library • 1 REFUSING TO BE SILENT: TRACING THE ROLE OF THE BLACK WOMAN PROTECTOR ON THE AMERICAN STAGE A Dissertation Presented by BRANDON LA HUTCHINSON Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY February 2004 Department of Afro-American Studies ©Copyright by Brandon LA Hutchinson 2004 All Rights Reserved REFUSING TO BE SILENT: TRACING THE ROLE OF THE BLACK WOMAN PROTECTOR ON THE AMERICAN STAGE A Dissertation Presented by BRANDON LA HUTCHINSON Approved as to style and content by: Esther M. A. Terry, Member Esther MA. Terry, Department Head Department of Afro-American Studies ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my advisor, Steven C. Tracy, for his consistent support, patience, and careful eye as he read several drafts. I appreciate your friendship and selfless contribution to my professional development. I would also like to thank the members of my committee, Esther M.A. Terry, Gilbert McCauley, and Joseph Skerrett for their helpful comments and suggestions on all stages of this project. I'd like to thank my husband, Sean and daughter, Nailah Sojourner for their love and support. This is dedicated to them. Thanks so much to my mom, Julie Anderson for just giving me extra air to breathe when this all seemed too overwhelming. And I give thanks to my grandmother, Dr. Norma Jean Anderson, for being a great role model. I am thankful to my friends, especially my sister-community, who have kept me thinking about this project, and encouraging me to continue. Thanks especially to Audrey Kerr, Wendy Bassett, Karima Robinson, Carolyn Powell, Lucy Burns, Trinisha Williams, Yolanda Lehman, Amina Baaith, Keira Cannon, and Sherry Culver. Also, Heather Anderson, Angela Robles, Cynthia Hill, and Althea Kariamu. Thanks, too, to Hilton Kelly, Lloren Foster, and Michael Forbes. And one more thanks to Pearl Cleage who has been available to me during this project. Thanks so much for teaching me, and so many other black women, what it means to be free. iv ' ABSTRACT REFUSING TO BE SILENT: TRACING THE ROLE OF THE BLACK WOMAN PROTECTOR ON THE AMERICAN STAGE FEBRUARY 2004 BRANDON LA HUTCHINSON, B.A., WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGE Ph.D., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Professor Steven C. Tracy and Pearl Cleage, black In the plays of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, protectors of identity, and women are often portrayed as defenders of the physical self, playwrights examined the guardians of the future. This study will examine how these playwright will be looked at specifically issue of protection in their plays. Although each physical, social identity, feminist—the m relationship to one of the three categories— predominately into one category, boundaries remain fluid. Where each playwright fits between the three areas of protection the overlap is noticeable as the definitions sometimes merge from attack and loss. In relationship "Physical protection" is the act of defending to looking at how black women are unable to Georgia Douglas Johnson it will mean lynching. "Social identity protection- protect the body from physical devastation, i.e. change how a transformation that will inevitably requires the main characters to undergo environment. Social identity protection is they view themselves in relationship to their when the women realize that they must manifested in the plays of Alice Childress woman's place. This transformation is redefine society's perspective on the black characters' is the catalyst for the other especially significant for two reasons. First, it v journey to self-identity. Second, the journey encourages the reevaluation of their responsibility to the black (and larger) community. "Feminist protection" involves black women who are concerned about the physical safety and longevity of one another. Successful feminist protection requires that black women tell the truth and not keep silent about how their race and gender informs their lives in America. These distinct facets of protection become united in each playwright's individual commitment to portraying the African-American experience on stage and beyond truthfully. An examination of the history of blacks on the American stage will provide a framework that substantiates the need for this study on protection. This historical background will provide the context needed to understand what necessitated the work of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, and Pearl Cleage. vi . TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION II. LINEAGE III. COMING IN SECOND IV. EYE TOWARD SURVIVAL. V. EPILOGUE: MAKING HOMES BIBLIOGRAPHY Vll CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION In the plays of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, and Pearl Cleage, black women are often portrayed as defenders of the physical self, protectors of identity, and guardians of the future. This study will examine how these playwrights examined the issue of protection in their plays. Although each playwright will be looked at specifically in relationship to one of the three categories of protection-physical, social identity, feminist—the boundaries remain fluid. Where each playwright fits predominately into areas of one category, the overlap is noticeable as the definitions between the three protection sometimes merge. In relationship "Physical protection" is the act of defending from attack and loss. black women in her plays are to Georgia Douglas Johnson it will mean looking at how lynching. "Social identity unable to protect the body from physical devastation, i.e. that will inevitably protection" requires the main characters to undergo a transformation environment. Social identity change how they view themselves in relationship to their Childress when the women realize that they protection is manifested in the plays of Alice place. This transformation is must redefine society's perspective on the black woman's the catalyst for the other characters' especially significant for two reasons. First, it is encourages the reevaluation of their journey to self-identity. Second, the journey "Feminist protection" involves black responsibility to the black (and larger) community. and longevity of one another. women who are concerned about the physical safety women tell the truth and not keep silent Successful feminist protection requires that black 1 about how their race and gender informed their lives in America. These distinct facets of protection become united in each playwright's individual commitment to portraying the African-American experience on stage and beyond truthfully. An examination of the history of blacks on the American stage will provide a framework that substantiates the need for this study on protection. This historical background will provide the context needed to understand what necessitated the work of Georgia Douglas Johnson, Alice Childress, and Pearl Cleage. Slavery was not yet abolished when the African Grove Theatre was established. Its creation ran contrary to slavery's most powerful and damaging precept, which stated blacks were inferior and uncultured. The lack of entertainment options for free blacks, due to segregation, was the major motivator in William Henry Brown's creation of the theater in 1821. Based in New York City, in the back of Brown's house, the company began as a tea garden called The African Grove. In this setting free blacks could partake of food, drink, music, and the reading of poetry and drama. Another free black, James Hewlett, furthered Brown's mission by insisting that the entertainment haven become a the place of drama as well. The theater's first major production, Richard III, began in Shakespearean upper apartment of the African Grove. While the company staged mostly original production written plays, they also presented The Drama ofKing Shotaway, an Grove Theatre was by Brown about slave rebellion. Like the initial creation, the African blacks could gather and socialize, it popular not only because it was a place where free (Mitchell 25). was deeply significant because blacks were staged with dignity community, it also became the While the company won the respect of the black performing for a mixed audience, focal point of whites. The company eventually began 2 desire to keep the setting all black. after several complaints about the African Grove's sit in the back of Brown's The special partition that was created allowed white patrons to company's production came at house (Marshall and Stock 34). Whites' patronage of the hostile response, which ultimately a great cost. Due to their