Lisa Durden

I became aware of this video because it was posted on #MediaTakeOut.coms #Facebook page and it created a huge firestorm!! A lot of black people were severely angered by the child's behavior. And RIGHTFULLY SO!! Yes, I know that the little white boy called the black man a "nigger." YES, it’s absolutely WRONG that the little white boy called the black man a "nigger." However, NO, the little white boy IS NOT a RACIST!!  People should be ashamed of themselves for calling that child a racist!! Have we all lost our minds?? We are at a place in our society where we are now calling children racists?? He was RUDE YES!! But no, I don't agree that he is a #racist!!  He is a child!! Children don’t have power, so they can’t be racists!! However, what DISTURBS ME MORE about this video is that this strange, creepy man, is in the park, video taping this child whom he doesn’t know, saying the word "nigger," then putting it up on the #internet; all without his parents permission?? REALLY??

Ok, can we #blacks PLEASE NOT get emotional here about the child using the word "nigger;" JUST for a moment and get right down to the real issue?? This man should be arrested for child endangerment!! He provoked this boy to call him a "nigger" over and over and over again, video taped him doing it and posted it on the internet?? This man’s behavior borders on #harassment and #bullying!! Think about it!!?? Is what he did right?? Is that even legal?? The video went viral!! Now this child could be getting death threats!! He could be getting exposed to sexual predators!! His image saying the word "nigger" at the tender age of whatever, will live online forever and could potentially prevent him from getting jobs when he becomes an adult!! This black man had no business doing this PERIOD!!

In a #Facebook battle, the question was raised, where is the boy’s parents?? Good question!! But I’m not trying to answer that here or now. The bottom line is, this man is a miscreant!! This man is a psychopath!! This man is very very very disturbed!! Because if he weren’t, he would have tried to find the child’s parents!! Or instead of video taping the innocent child calling him a "nigger," his time would have been best spent maybe shooting the little boy identifying himself and who his parents are and posting that video online, as a way to help his parents locate him!! Another way to go was for him not to give a #cluck what some little strange kid in the park says and focus on playing with his two daughters; who he’s CLEARLY ignoring, while he’s busy video taping this child calling him a "nigger."

Yes, the word "nigger" is inflammatory!! I really do get that!! TRUST ME!! I have been called a "nigger" by whites more than I want to admit!! And HELL NO, I didn’t like it!!  But really??  What grown person gets caught up in what kids say?? NARCISSISTS!! Children are taught bad behavior by observing adults!! Any reasonable adult knows that!! And those who don’t, need a #couch!! Does this race debate have us so #clucked up that we’ve lost our perspective on accountability and responsibility?? This man, DRAGGING an innocent child into his grown folk mess, as a pawn in his sick game, just to validate his point, is a natural #DISASTER!! Black people, you might as well revoke my black card today because I'm sorry, I can't ride with y’all on this one!! I DONT CARE WHAT THE BOY SAID!! Parent’s, all parent’s, regardless of #race, tell me, would you be ok with a stranger videotaping your child and putting their image on the internet unbeknownst to you??

Everybody who knows me knows I love plays!! Musicals, not so much. Just straight plays. So whenever I get invited to review a play I’m in heaven; especially if it turns out to be good. Well, I went to see The American Moor, written and performed by Keith Hamilton Cobb and it was GREAT!! For starters, I was already a fan of Keith’s. Y’all remember him, he’s widely recognized for his roles as ‘Noah Keefer’ on ABC's All My Children, ‘Tyr Anasazi’ on Gene Rodenberry's Andromeda, and ‘Quincy Abrams’ for the series, Noah's Arc on the Logo Network. The man is just absolutely gorgeous and very well preserved!! However, looks ain’t everything! To keep me engaged, I need to be entertained!! Surprisingly, this play did just that!

The American Moor is the exploration of the American Black Male through the metaphor of Shakespeare’s Othello.  The play is about this American man who is recognized for his blackness before anything else. Shocking!! That’s my sarcasm of course. LOL. As a black person, I am soooo aware of the fact that people see our color before they see us. And I don’t mean our black skin because all African American’s don’t have black skin. I mean, who ‘THEY’ think we are. In #TheAmerican Moor, that issue was tackled in such a fresh and unique way. In 78 minutes, the playtakes us on a journey from the hilarious to the heinous, revealing the literally fleeting moments that a large, black stage actor experiences during an audition before a younger white director for the lead role in William Shakespeare’s, #Othello. It’s an excellent exploration of white culture dictating rules of conduct to a non-white, from an often inadvertent place of privilege. Hmmm, White Privilege?? That’s a new notion!! Again, my sarcasm. LOL.

Anywhoo, Keith Hamilton Cobb killed it!! I mean, he took the audience through a roller coaster of emotions as he was making the effort, during the audition, to knock down the walls of stereotypes that the director had no clue was a part of him. Well, at least not at the start. To see this larger than life black man stand on that stage and cry, and shout, and curse, and talk, and plead, was painful, yet inspiring!! When I looked around the room, many of the black men were crying and clapping and cheering, in their own, subtle, but obvious ways. You saw in their faces, in their bodies, in their stillness, that they connected with the man in the audition. But what was more interested was how the white people began to open up to his pain and struggle as well; which is universal.

Although I had seen the roll of Othello played by actors #LawrenceFishburn, #MekhiPhifer and #EamonnWalker, not until this play did I understand Shakespear’s portrayal of the Moor as misogynistic, narcissistic and abusive. In #TheAmericanMoor, the character was fighting with the director in his audition, to be able to see Othello in the way he sees him and not how he wanted him to be seen. POWERFUL!! This play begs the question, do Black Lives Matter??

The talkback after was equally as riveting!! It took the discussion about race to a whole ‘nother’ level!! Keith Hamilton Cobb, the director Paul Kwame Johnson, the co-star Josh Tyson who played the director Michal Aaron Miller and also joined by Dr. Akil Khalfani, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Essex County Community College in Newark, NJ, opened up a wonderful dialogue that was welcoming and eye opening!! “The play pushes the idea about accountability and compassion. How we think about the corporate world and this play,” explains Khalfani. “If we can see the African American as not seen, the question becomes how do you become seen?? Can the actor and Othello avoid the stigma of being blackened?? Avoid being invisible??” Those questions really got the audience’s attention and passionate participation; of all races!!

“Brabanziois a metaphor for how black men walk through the world. The only way to over come that is talk. Which is at the crux of the play,” addresses Hamilton. I'm not making a case here for black people being the only people who aren’t seen. I want everybody to connect and feel what they feel. The struggle that the actor is having is not showing the anger and aggression so that you can be heard. Represent something that isn't the stigma. However there are aspects of blackness that I feel pride-full about and I want people to see.”

“The play was beautifully written. It was Shakespearean,” said Johnson. “My job was to help Keith to go from reality so that the arguments could be clear.”  Which is precisely what happened!! It was amazing to observe a white woman from the audience share that she learned how too people get over their fear of the big black man to begin to have the discussion. That's Keith's hope for The American Moor.

Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!” So for #MoorToThisStory, go to see The American Moor, showing until this Sunday, May 10, 2015, At: The Wild Project 195 East 3rd Street New York, NY 10009 Tickets – 212.352.3101 Questions – 212.465.3446 or log onto phoneixtheatreensemble.org/American-Moor. Also check out www.KeithHamiltonCobb.com for more information.

Drum roll please!! I’M GOING TO TOKYOOOOOOO!! In my Oprah voice, I’m going to Tokyo, I’m going to Tokyo, I’m going to Tokyo, I’m going to Tokyo!! #LMFBAO!! Yaaaassssss, Lisa Durden is going to Tokyo y’all!! I’m excited to announce that I am one of only four independent producers, selected from around the nation, to receive the Corporation For Public Broadcasting’s highly competitive fellowship grant, to attend this years International Public Television Screening Conference (Input) in Tokyo, Japan, as a non-presenting US delegate from May 11th – May 15th 2015. WOW!! I know right??

What is that ask?? #CPB, the biggest funder of public broadcasting that promotes the growth and development of public media in communities throughout America, launched an extensive submissions process where I was selected as one of four innovators in the field of television production from around the nation, to receive a fellowship, to convene at the #Input conference in Tokyo, Japan; an annual week long television showcase where the rules of broadcasting are challenged and redefined by the delegates. This event is the only international conference that focuses specifically on the innovative programs produced by public as opposed to commercial broadcasters. This is an AMAZING OPPORTUNITY

The International Public Television Screening Conference (Input), was created to promote the exchange of television programs, ideas, and production techniques among broadcasters around the world. As a delegate, the goal is for us to challenge and motivate producers to improve the quality of public service broadcasting worldwide. We will participate in discussion sessions with the presenting filmmakers, to debate production approaches and subject matter in relation to public television's mission. I’m honored to have been selected as one of the four CPB INPUT Fellows for 2015, to participate in this elite “Think Tank,” to engage in the intense scrutiny of craft and dialogue among concerned television professionals on an international level. As a content creator, I’m looking forward to the exchange of program ideas and technologies, which will be invaluable tools to use, as I develop programming and produce stories about my community, for public television on a local and national level.

Now, here’s a little backstory. Advancing my career as a content creator is my ongoing mission!! 2014 was a particularly tough year for me because I was at a crossroads professionally. For some strange reason, I slipped into a lull where I was looking for validation from others for the great work that I’ve done as a producer. THAT WAS A BIG MISTAKE!! Yes, recognition is nice!! BUT IT’S NOT NECESSARY!! As #Oprah says, “what I know for sure” is, DON’T GET ANGRY BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T SEE YOUR VALUE!! DON’T WASTE TIME WITH THOSE WHO DON’T SEE YOUR VALUE!! They don’t have to see your value!! It’s not their job to see your value!! YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR OWN VALUE!! That’s it and that’s all!! Once you are secure in that notion, YOU WILL ORGANICALLY ATTRACT THOSE WHO SEE IT TOO!! BOOM!!

Growing up poor!! Sometimes cold!! Sometimes hungry!! Created a deep, crippling, fear of poverty!! Which has been my Achilles Heel when faced with making hard career decisions that challenge my financial stability. In Steve Harvey’s book, Act Like A Success Think Like A Success, he said, “jump off the cliff because the parachute will open!!” Well, I did!! And it did!! Leading me to one of the best career changing decisions I've made in 2014; accepting the contract as Broadcast Manager for The National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC). When I received an email from the Executive Director, Leslie Fields-Cruz, inviting me to apply for the position, I was secretly thinking, “is she nuts!!” LOL. Yes, I had the qualifications, but I never saw myself on the broadcast side of television. After talking to my biggest confidant and supporter, my sister, Daphne Turner, she encouraged me to go for it!! I was one of several potential candidates that Leslie vetted for the position and after interviews with her and other key individuals at #NBPC, I was selected to fill the position in December 2014. YAAAAY ME!! I gotta tellya, in a short five month, my career trajectory as a producer is advancing in ways that I could not have imagined!! If I had not overcome my fear of failure and remained stagnant, I WOULD NOT be on my way to Tokyo!! That I know for sure!!

Being selected as a CPB INPUT Fellow for Tokyo 2015, is not just important to my professional development as a content creator, this opportunity serves as a reminder that, ‘YOU MUST CLOSE SOME DOORS!! IF YOU WANT OTHER DOORS TO OPEN!!’ I only wish my mother Margaret Durden was living to see it. This would have made her soooo happy!!

For more information about Input log onto their website at www.input-tv.org

Welp, “You have entered MY WORLD!! Where I tell it MY WAY!!”

 Image/s via input-tv.org