Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow; An Inspiring Exhibition Presented by The National Museum of American Jewish History

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

Professor Ernst Borinski teaching in the Social Science Lab, Tougaloo College, Miss.

Howard Zinn  wrote “Nations are not communities and never have been. The history of any country, presented as the history of a family, conceals the fierce conflicts of interest between conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalists and workers, dominators and dominated ... And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners.” 

Albert Einstein giving a physics lecture at Lincoln University, a
historically African-American University.  At this time, Einstein was on the
staff  of Princeton University.

There were many kinds of horrific events that preceded the ultimate horror of the Holocaust.  One of these was the dismissal of Jewish academics from German universities. During the 1930’s, Hitler and the Nazi party had  gained much influence in Germany, and many Jewish professors and scholars were expelled from their educational positions at universities. Because these scholars experienced the country’s rabid hostility and rightfully feared what was to come next, they fled to the United States and hoped to find teaching positions at American universities. While well-known Jewish academics, like Albert Einstein, were hired by major universities like Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford, it was hard for other professors to find jobs stateside. As a result of this, many Jewish scholars found refuge and positions at Historically Black Colleges/Universities, where they discovered that the same battle they were fighting back in Germany was not too different from the struggles of African-Americans.  

The National Museum of American Jewish History hosted an exhibition entitled “Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow”,  from January 15 to June 2, 2013, which highlighted the lives of some of these German scholars who found refuge and kinship at many African-American institutions and established enduring relationships with their African-American peers and students. The exhibition featured several memorable and engaging Jewish academic refugees like Ernst Borinski, George Iggers, and Lore and Donald Rasmussen who were welcomed by various African-American colleges, many of them located in the deep South ,at the height of the Jim Crow era. These intellectual powerhouses rigorously challenged their African-American students in such subjects as the Sciences,  Latin and Philosophy as well as the Arts.  These Jewish  professors not only found a safe haven at these institutions, they also found an opportunity to take an uncompromising stand against the  prevalent and insidious racism faced by African-Americans, especially in the South. 

These Jewish scholars immediately recognized the common battle they shared with African-Americans in their fight for equality and  they were moved to directly confront and challenge the mean and dehumanizing racism of the United States. They were actively involved in civil rights campaigns off campus and supported their students in public venues, even when it was illegal and dangerous to do so. Also, they were active participants in organizations like the NAACP;the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.  

Viewing the photographs of these transplanted scholars and some of their personal belongings such as their letters, religious objects and even  videotaped interviews with some of these scholars was so moving and placed me right in the middle of a history that I am connected to also.  Equally compelling were the video interviews of several former African-American students who expressed both their love and joy for their beloved professors who had come so far and fleeing such horrors to arrive in a place to offer their light.  Their testimonies were so candid, heartfelt and inspiring all at once.  

Last summer I traveled France and took a course exploring the history of the lives of American expatriates in Paris. It was from this course that I discovered the non-fiction of James Baldwin. James Baldwin fled the United States at a time when the state of affairs for African-Americans was at its worst. It was in Paris that Baldwin first experienced that freeing feeling of not always being identified and received as a "Black" man, but simply as a human being. After his experience in Europe, he came to the conclusion that “the past is what makes the present coherent.” I think Baldwin’s experience is something that these Jewish refugee professors might have really related to in terms of their reception at these African-American colleges where they were not just Jewish scholars , but welcomed sources of enlightenment. 

James Baldwin in Paris

Even though this particular exhibition has closed , I highly recommend making a visit to this phenomenal  museum. It is imperative that we are aware of what has taken place before us to be able to digest and understand what is happening in the present . Through being conscious observers and analysts of history, we join the fight in eliminating the struggle between victims and executioners. Below you can find the link to the museum’s website, where you can access the museum hours, ticket rates, information on exhibitions, and the museum’s location. Stay Zen!

Museum Website:

http://www.nmajh.org

National Museum of American Jewish History

101 South Independence Hall East

Philadelphia PA, 19106

Les Misérables, the Musical, in Philadelphia

Broadway: Les Misérables

A Co-presentation of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and The Shubert Organization

A Review by Sojourner Ahebee

On Wednesday evening of January 2, 2013, I attended The Broadway Series production of Les Misérables. What an experience!

            
This story is an old one, drawn from Victor Hugo's classic novel which is also entitled Les Misérables. The story tells the tale and balances on the themes of the survival of the human spirit. Through transitioning from a traditional novel to a full blown musical performance, much is brought to stage and to light through the voices of the actors. The musical commences with the introduction of Jean Valjean (played by Peter Lockyer), an outcast who is kindly taken into the care of the Bishop of Digne. After many unfortunate situations, Valjean decides to start his life all over, with a fresh first step. Eight years pass and he has become a Mayor and a factory owner. For a brief moment the audience is allowed to breathe, with the good fortune that is born with Valjean's hard work. But, soon the audience gains a sense of these desperate times with the presence of the musical number “At the End of the Day”. While this is quite a heart wrenching song, what I appreciate about this number is that it is sung from the voices of the poor, more specifically, the workers and the unemployed. There are lines like: At the end of the day you're another day older/and that's all you can say for the life of the poor/ it's a struggle, it's a war. As Howard Zinn once mentioned, history is usually told from the the perspective of the privileged. This is not the case in this narrative. The sheer honesty present in this piece lends itself to much power.

            
Also, through the musical number “At the End of the Day”, we are introduced to Fantine (played by Genevieve Leclerc), one of Valjean's workers, who has a secret illegitimate child who is in the care of a couple she sends money to, to pay for her child's expenses. When the women in the factory discover this, they are enraged and demand for her dismissal. Their brutality towards Fantine is something I will never understand, but this situation surely lends itself to the tense environment of the narrative and also, it helps with the audience's ability to sympathize with Fantine.

            
With no job and no where to go, Fantine is forced to sell her locket, her hair, and later she must even resort to selling herself as a prostitute, so she can continue to pay for medicines for her daughter. I've never experienced a mother's love showcased on the stage with such omnipotence. While Fantine waits for customers, she ruminates on her lost love and wonders why she finds herself in this situation. These ruminations are present in the musical number “I Dreamed a Dream”. The lines in this song that really hit me hard were: but the tigers come at night/ with their voices soft as thunder/ as they tear your dreams apart/ as they turn your dreams to shame. This is later followed with the number “Lovely Ladies”, which further demonstrates the  desperate environment, with the aid of the presence of the prostitutes. On a surface level, this song has quite an upbeat tune, but the darker undertones of having to sell your own body to make ends meet is very much there as well.

            
When a customer arrives, Fantine feels degraded and gets into a fight with this customer. She is about to be taken to prison by Javert( played by Andrew Varela), but Valjean arrives and demands she be taken to the hospital instead. Before he leaves Fantine in the hospital, he promises her that he will will find and look after her daughter, Cossette (played by Siri Howard).

            
Cossette has been staying with the Thénardiers, where she is abused by the family. After studying so much Shakespeare during my first semester of school, I have learned the importance of certain roles in theatre, especially those like the Shakespearean fool, who is there to teach a lesson but to also provide some type of comic relief. While Cossette was not a funny character, the presence of a child on stage, someone who wields bits and pieces of innocence, is what allows the audience to take a short break from all the tragic happenings in the play. Also, on a vocal level, I found it refreshing to hear a child's voice on stage. Cossette sings a song entitled “Castle in the Cloud” where she expresses her want to escape to another place, like a type of wonderland, as a means to escape the unkind family. Valjean holds his promise and finds Cossette. He makes a bargain with the  Thénardiers, and they agree to let him take the girl and raise her as his own.

Years later, there is much political unrest in the city due to the situations of the workers and the common people. People become fed up and start to revolt. In Act 2 we are reintroduced to Cossette when she is older, and a boy named Marius, who starts to fall in love with Cossette. We are also re introduced to Éponine( played by Erin Clemons), the Thénardiers's daughter, who also loves Marius. But, if you want to find out what happens, I would highly recommend attending the performance at the Academy of Music.

The musical is full of energy, light, and most importantly truth. Also, this is a very vocally demanding piece, and the actors pull this off with much power! I never felt like I wasn't in the moment and these songs will stay in your head forever.

This brand new 25^th Anniversary production will be playing in Philadelphia at the Academy of Music until January 13, 2013. To get more information, click the link below!

http://www.kimmelcenter.org/events/?id=4396

Anna Karenina; Food for Thought and a Feast for Your Eyes

Last night I saw the newest film version of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Loved it!   I loved it so much that I went to my favorite bookstore for used books, Last Word Bookshop, and I got my copy of Tolstoy’s epic story. The number of pages seems a bit daunting, but I am determined after seeing this film. I will also take a couple of Russian Literature courses at school. 

Visually the film is a nonstop feast for your eyes. What had me sitting on the edge of my seat was nothing scary. It was how the director Joe Wright presented this story.  It was presented not as a play, but it is told from a stage, in the most original, imaginative, and surreal and bold way.

Another great discovery for me is playwright Tom Stoppard who wrote the screenplay for Wright’s Anna Karenina.  Playwright Tony Kushner visited my school this past semester and shared his insights on the craft of playwriting.  I had previously seen his Angels in America.  Consequently, I was excited to see Spielberg’s Lincoln film, because Mr. Kushner was the screenwriter.   It has been a new and interesting journey meeting all kinds of writers and studying their work and seeing the creative ways in which they present their work to the public.

Tom Stoppard and Joe Wright are now at the top of my list for delivering on the wonder and delight.  You have to experience how this story is told. 

My mom was constantly whispering historical commentary in my ear throughout the film, which, I will admit, made me more excited about reading and discovering more of Tolstoy.

A few years ago, I participated in The Great Books Summer Program at Amherst College, where all I did for a few weeks were read and discuss books.  It was WONDERFUL!  You can also study with this program at Stanford University and Oxford University, in England.  This program also has a film component, where students watch and learn how to critique films.  Here is a link to learn about this program.  http://www.greatbookssummer.com/

Last Word Bookshop

Address: 220 South 40th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104

Phone:(215) 386-7750

Say No-UNiTE To End Violence Against Women

Join forces with the Say No- UNiTE To End Violence Against Women campaign.  Say NO – UNiTE to End Violence against Women is a social mobilization platform on ending violence against women and girls.  November 25, 2012  marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, kicking off 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence that highlight the connection between women, violence, and human rights.  This campaign stands as a reminder to the world, local organizations, and most importantly, ordinary citizens to say “No” and unite to end violence against women.

My local Amnesty International chapter’s focus project for this campaign will be Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban.  I  urge you, too, to do a simple, but powerful gesture; to send a message of support to Malala, her schoolmates and friends and let them know you stand with them and for the rights of women and girls everywhere. It was a shocking act of violence: 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai was shot by Taliban gunmen, and her condition is slowly improving in a UK hospital after a bullet was removed from her brain. Two fellow students, Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Ahmed, were also injured in the attack.
The Taliban targeted Malala -- a child -- specifically for her human rights activism. Malala has bravely spoken out for the rights of girls to receive an education. Her father ran one of the last girls' schools to defy a Taliban ban against female education in Pakistan's Swat Valley, and both Malala and her family have received threats from the Taliban in the past.

You can easily visit the Amnesty International’s homepage and click on the feature about Malala and submit your letter online. You can customize your message of solidarity or use the sample provided. Whatever you do, take action.    http://www.amnestyusa.org/

When you have submitted your letter of support, email me at vwolf12@hotmail.com , so I can share your messages of support and include them in my chapter’s campaign efforts.

How To Feel Fulfilled As An Artist

My mom posted this on my timeline today.  Wise words, especially number 2. 

Who Will be the First Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia ? Maybe You!

Who Will be the First Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia ?

      Philadelphia has always been in the vanguard of the creative arts.  Here is yet another great example that proves this point.  The City of Philadelphia’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy is establishing Philadelphia’s first Youth Poet Laureate position.  I just applied and I encourage all my fellow Philly poets to do the same. Here is a link for more information.  http://creativephl.org/youthpoetlaureate

Meet the 2012 National Student Poets

Lylla Younes

Natalie Richardson





Claire Lee

 


Luisa Banchoff



Miles Hewitt
BRAVO !!! Congratulations to Luisa Banchoff , Miles Hewitt, Claire Lee, Natalie Richardson and Lylla Younes;  the 2012 National Student Poets.  

On Tuesday, these literary luminaries were  officially  appointed  during the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival in Washington, DC.

To lean more about the National Student Poets Program and these winning poets, click here. http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/national-student-poets-program/

Did I mention I was a semi-finalist?  Ah, to dwell in possibility…





Foreign Language Programs for the Summer 2013

London

Paris

Paris

This has got to be the longest period of time I haven't posted something.  Pardon!- with a French accent !  I had such a busy summer and now school has resumed. I had an amazing time this past summer, in France, studying Parisian architecture and American expatriates and practicing my French.  Did I mention also gorging on macaroons?   I 've been through the fire and now I can go almost anywhere on the metro.  I also got to visit friends in London during all of that Olympic mania.

Anyway…   Believe it or not, NOW is the time to apply for so many remarkable summer programs, most of which offer financial aid and/or scholarships.  Since I am in a foreign language state of mind, I will share some links to language programs, many of which take you abroad.

Does studying in England, France or Spain interest anyone?  Try Oxbridge Academic Programs, the organization that arranged my studies in France. They are first-class all the way.  http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com/index.php

How about you guys who are interested in learning critical languages like Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Farsi, Russian, Korean and more?  How about if you want to learn these languages in the countries where they are spoken?  I got you covered.  Check out the National Security Language Initiative for Youth.    It’s an intense process to get selected, but if you do, all expenses are paid and you get to open your mind and heart to another culture.  Here’s more information about the National Security Language Initiative for Youth: http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/nsli.html

Ok, I know, some of you want to stay stateside, but still want the rigor and intensity of a total language immersion experience.   Look no further.  Here is the link to the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy.  I did the French immersion program a few years ago. AWESOME.  The institute offers the total immersion experience-you sign a pledge not to speak English during your 4-week stay-in Mandarin, Arabic, German, French and Spanish.  You can do it:  http://mmla.middlebury.edu/

Kehinde Wiley's Economy of Grace at the Sean Kelly Gallery-One More Day

Kehinde Wiley, Kancou Diaovno (2012)



Kehinde Wiley, Dacia Carter (2012





Sojourner in front of Princess Victoire of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (2012)
by Kehinde Wiley



 

Besides the above, what was great about being in New York was being able to visit so many dynamic places.  One of those places was the Sean Kelly Gallery. I went there with my mother and aunt. This gallery is featuring the work of Kehinde Wiley. You know how I feel about his work. 

It was exciting and odd at the same time to view this particular collection because the subjects are all women.  Wiley is synonymous for his almost exclusive portrayal of men.  True to his signature style, this body of work, entitled Economy of Grace, is over the top and spectacular.  It was kind of eerie and neat to see his work in this huge gallery with just four or five people in there.  It felt very intimate.

Wiley has said he based these paintings on historical portraits by masters like Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough, and John Singer Sargent, and that Economy of Grace challenges society’s views of feminine beauty and the place of black women in art history.

“I am painting women in order to come to terms with the depictions of gender within the context of art history. One has to broaden the conversation,” he is quoted as saying.

Kehinde Wiley, Judith and Holofernes

To learn more visit the Sean Kelly Gallery website:

http://www.skny.com/exhibitions/2012-05-06_kehinde-wiley/

2012 National Scholastic Art & Writing Winners

Three-time Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep provides young artists and writers with inspiration at the 2012 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards at Carnegie Hall, New York, Friday, June 1, 2012. (Stuart Ramson for Scholastic Inc



Me, Sojourner Ahebee, with my gold medal.

 Two weeks ago I was in New York City because I was selected as a 2012 National Scholastic Art & Writing Award Winner, along with 800 other talented teens.  I won a gold medal for my poetry. We all had our names published in the New York Times-Thursday, May 31, 2012, and we were given sage advice by the actress Meryl Streep at an event held in our honor at Carnegie Hall .  Our work is currently on display at Parsons The New School of Design. http://www.artandwriting.org/AWNNYC

If you are a teen artist, enter next year.  Here is more information: http://www.artandwriting.org/