On the surface – and when compared to the Oscars – the 2016 Tonys looked like a groundbreaking moment for diversity in entertainment. But when it comes to inclusion, Broadway has a long way to go.
When biographer Gretchen Gerzina came across an old British newspaper article calling Sarah E. Farro “the first negro novelist,” she wondered: who was Farro, and why had she been lost to history?
With Freedom on the Move, historians hope to reveal patterns of escape and capture, while giving anyone the chance to learn about the individual heroism of runaway slaves.
Irish immigrants and their descendants played a leading part in the Easter Rising of 1916 and Ireland’s subsequent rebellion. But the inspiration worked in the other direction as well.
In the entertainment industry, the success or failure of a minority lead can be a referendum on whether or not to use diverse leads for future projects.
When comedian Larry Wilmore called President Obama ‘my n-gga’ during the White House Correspondents’ Association annual dinner, what was he really saying?
Brooklyn Dodgers President Branch Rickey liked to take credit for breaking the color barrier. In truth, it was the culmination of a long campaign waged by the left wing press and labor unions.
In 1942 a man called Walter White travelled to Hollywood to try and persuade filmmakers to cut the negative stereotypes of African Americans in movies.
In 1946, a horrific beating left a Black World War II vet blind. His determined fight for justice would earn the support of Orson Welles, Woody Guthrie – and even the president.
Managing Director of the McCourtney Institute of Democracy, Associate Research Professor, Political Science, Co-host of Democracy Works Podcast, Penn State