Under the baobab: Celebrating Juneteenth, Father’s Day, acting achievements and more

Happy Father’s Day as we remember our two fathers, Lionel and Francis. Both served in three wars — WWII, Korea and Vietnam. We all still stand on their shoulders.

Entertainment abounds in our community but sometimes you just have to get out of town. Last week we joined the director of the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State, Sita Frederick, and CPA’s Amy Dupain Vashaw at a show at Lincoln Center, “Purple: A Ritual in Nine Spells” by the Sydnie L. Mosely Dances. The Company spent a week in residence at Penn State during spring semester. We hope they return. “Purple” was a touching and enlightening audience participation ritual commemorating community.

We were also in New York City for the Tony Awards, which were held at the United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights, a first. Lin Manuel Miranda used his considerable influence to get the awards show moved uptown from Midtown Manhattan. Ariana DeBose returning as co-host added more Latinx seasoning to the sauce. Several of our friends were nominated: fellow NEC actor Sam Jackson was up for best featured actor in a play; Stephen McKinley Henderson and Wendell Pierce were nominated for best lead actors in a play; Audra McDonald was nominated for best lead actress in a play. As a teacher, I was very proud that one of my former students had been nominated for writing the best play. James Ijames was awarded the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for “Fat Ham.” We felt he had a good chance to win a Tony. Alas, none of them won, but as Sam said, they were “honored to be nominated.”

The 4th Annual Juneteenth celebration, “Threading the Fabric of Freedom,” chaired by Leslie Laing, sponsored by the Borough of State College, the State College NAACP, the Center for the Performing Arts and the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, was held this past weekend. An art exhibit at the Woskob Family Gallery was curated by Professor Grace Hampton and co-chaired by Prof. Hampton and Terry Watson. Shannon Holiday, Savita Iyer and Lindsey Landfried served on the exhibition committee. Nataki Bhatti was the featured artist. Irvin Moore won first prize for adult painting. Ade “KO” Balogun won second. First prize for high school was Sanai Abdullah, second was Camilla Leyva. Special recognition was given to elementary student Colette Nichols.

On Saturday, there was a wonderful Junteenth street fair held in the MLK Plaza and Fraser Street. Leslie Laing welcomed the crowd of several hundred neighbors. Mayor Ezra Nanes delivered the official commemoration. Pastor Paul McReynolds of Albright-Bethune gave the benediction. Carmin Wong and Trinity Jackson performed spoken word. Yours truly read the historical narrative for General Order No. 3. Music was performed by Eric Ian Farmer, Urban Fusion, Unity Church Praise Team, Mckie and Res, Warren Wolf and Joy and Jackie gave a Tina Turner Tribute. Dean Clarence Lang and Special Advisor for Institutional Equity Jennifer Hamer gave remarks.

On Thursday, Penn State Outreach and Online Education, along with the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center, sponsored a screening of the new documentary film, “Juneteenth: Exploring Freedom Stories.” A post-film discussion was moderated by Andrea Reidell, director of outreach and curriculum for the Annenberg Public Policy Center, and Richard D’Von Daily, a Penn State doctoral candidate in U.S. history and African American studies, and included panelists Eric Foner, professor emeritus of history at Columbia University; Daina Ramey Berry, dean of humanities and fine arts at the University of California Santa Barbara; Justin Schwartz, Penn State executive vice president and provost; and Cathleen D. Cahill, acting director of the George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center, and professor of Middle-American history at Penn State.

Congrats to state baseball champions Bald Eagle and Bellefonte. And don’t miss the Central Pennsylvania Theatre and Dance Festival from June 22-25.

Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lion’s Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.