Arts and Entertainment

Act on Racism performances challenge stereotypes, taboos

By Coty Levandoski GVL Staff Writer
2/7/2010

In celebration of Black History Month, Act on Racism presented a series of skits Thursday in the Cook De-Witt Center on Grand Valley State University's Allendale Campus.

The brainchild of Jennifer Stewart, AoR began in August 2005 as Stewart's students transformed their term papers into actual skits for the culminating experience of the course.

"What we've tried to do today is done so in honor of Black History Month," Stewart said at the beginning of the performance. "Nothing that you will see on stage today is fabricated. There are stories that have come from family, friends, roommates and students."

Touching on everything from profiling and preferential treatment to taboos and stereotypes, the collection of vignettes, poetry readings and unscripted skit performances bordering on improvisation look to entertain through use of drama and comedic antics.

Acts are separated between "takes," which signal the beginning and end of each individual performance. The audience applauded immediately for almost every scene, with a brief hesitation after the forewarned use of the "N-word," which was used at the end of a skit when one character accused the other of being a terrorist.

"Act on Racism aims to speak to the audience through skits; through our language of history and culture," Stewart said.

AoR contains a diverse cross-section of student performers not only from different walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, but from every corner of GVSU's campus, from student organizations to graduate students.

Although not a registered student organization on campus, AoR members used the same word to describe the bond shared between one another - "family." This was evident when a veteran cast member nonchalantly brushed the hair of a fellow member who had joined only recently and even as members jested with one another during the question and answer portion of the event.

"A number of bias incidents were reported right here on campus in 2005-2006," said Christina Jackson, Office of Multicultural Affairs graduate assistant and five-year AoR member. "Act on Racism is our outlet, our voice. See it, react to it, light it up and change it."

Having performed in numerous classrooms on campus and locally, as well as traveling to Ferris State University, Hope College and the Michigan Sociological Convention at the Wealthy Street Theatre, AoR strives to increase contemporary awareness of racism through reenactments of racist incidents that have transpired in either a particular group member's life or that of someone they know.

AoR meetings are open to all and take place every Thursday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Kirkhof Center. Students can find which room AoR uses for the day by asking the 20/20 desk.

clevandoski@lanthorn.com

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