The Corsair Fall 2023 - Issue 5

NOVEMBER 1, 2023 | VOLUME 126 ISSUE 5 | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

Playwright or Wrong

EVERY COPY OF THE CORSAIR IS FREE, EACH COPY AFTER IS 25¢ | SANTA MONICA COLLEGE, STUDENT-RUN NEWSPAPER SINCE 1929

November 1, 2023

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EDITORIAL STAFF Victor Chambers | Editor-in-Chief Conor Heeley | Managing Editor Caylo Seals | Photo Editor Mikey Duro | Lead Copy Editor Renee Barlett-Webber | News Editor Nicholas McCall | Sports Editor Taylor Smith | Arts & Entertainment Editor Bunker King | Arts & Entertainment Editor Samayia Kirby | Culture Editor Blake Harris | Opinion Editor Amber Guerrero | Multimedia Editor Desiree Ihde | Digital Editor Danniel Sumarkho | Design Editor Akemi Rico | Social Media Editor

Table of Contents 6

Playwright or Wrong

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Protests Scheduled To Take Place At Premiere of Controversial SMC Play

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By "The River Rivanna" play canceled

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Play’s Cancellation Ripples Through SMC Community

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By the River Rivanna: A conversation with SMC’s History and Ethnic Studies departments

CORSAIR STAFF Presley Alexander | Bunker King | Lucas Weiss | Danilo Perez | Nube Gamer | Desiree Fabian | Callie Yiu | Marcela Iraheta | Jorge Devotto | Maria Lebedev | Josephine Fischer | Danniel Sumarkho | Josh Hogan | Rebecca Hogan

FACULTY ADVISORS Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins | Journalism Adviser Gerard Burkhart | Photo Adviser Samantha Nuñez | Social Media Adviser

CONTACT Editor-in-Chief | corsair.editorinchief@gmail.com

FRONT PAGE On the Studio Stage at Santa Monica College, in Santa Monica, Calif. on Tuesday Oct. 17, 2023, Earl Williams, playing Grady Davis in the play By The River Rivanna, reveals to his friend Adrian Armstrong, played by Auryn Rothwell that he's been drawn to the land of his great grandparents. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

BACK PAGE At the end of the play "By The River Rivanna," (L to R) Adrian Armstrong, played by Auryn Rothwell, and Grady Davis, played by Earl Williams, come to an agreement and walk shoulder to shoulder towards the River Rivanna in the final scenes of the play performed on Tuesday Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I TO R

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This River's Headwaters I

n Malcolm X’s 1963 speech titled “God’s Judgment of White America,” the human rights icon said, “The liberal differs from the conservative only in one way: the liberal is more deceitful than the conservative. The liberal is more hypocritical than the conservative.” He explains that liberalism in the United States poses as a “benefactor and friend” of African Americans and people of color while using them as pawns in a “political game” that ultimately only benefits white Americans.

I couldn’t stop thinking about these words for these past few weeks SMC has been drowning in controversy.

From the moment the Theatre Arts department began production on the play “By The River Rivanna,” there have been strong reactions to its content.

Students raised their concerns about the writer’s take on themes of slavery, racism, sexual violence, and the African American experience to faculty early on. It was also students who, in the end, voted in favor of the show not moving forward.

Whether one agrees with the play’s cancellation and the criticism about its content or not, there’s one thing that is certain, the impact that it had on the SMC community. The fact that 14 employee-based organizations came together to challenge their administration reveals that this is a campus divided; a campus where employees and students don’t feel truly represented by the ones who are supposed to lead them. One interview at a time, members of the community shared their stories of discrimination and othering that have taken place on this campus. To many, this moment represented a culmination of many years experiencing racism at SMC. It was after hearing the first few of these stories that Malcolm X’s quote began repeating over and over in my mind. SMC serves a population that is

more than 60% percent comprised of Black and brown students. Images of a diverse campus populate the promotional materials decorating the desks and walls in every building on campus.

On the college’s website, the fact that SMC is “number one in transfer of African American and Latinx students to UCs” is used as a reason to be “proud to be SMC.” While there are several organizations and faculty and staff members that work tirelessly to bring the institution’s equity mission into actuality, there’s a definite disconnect between image and reality.

That has been something I have felt for the three years I’ve studied on this campus, but couldn’t explain why. I felt it when I realized that only a few out of all the professors I’ve had have been people of color. According to SMC’s own 2021 ”Faculty & Staff Diversity Report,” 55% percent of part-time faculty is Caucasian, down from 68% in Fall 2011, with Latino and African Americans amounting to only 25%. I felt it when the book required for my “Ethnic Groups in America” class dedicated exactly 11 pages to discussing the history of Latinos in the United States, and 57 to European Americans. I felt it when some of my college peers preferred to stay silent about or entirely ignore how “By the River Rivanna” affected Black students. I felt it every time this semester when I had to justify why covering stories about the Latino community mattered.

With time, I have come to under-

stand that this feeling stems from the veiled racism, micro-agressions, and lingerings of white supremacy that permeate the structures we share as a community. It is born as a restlessness that grows over time into an ever-present anxiety nestled at the pit of our stomachs. It affects our every experience. It makes us feel uncomfortable and unbelonging in the spaces we enter.

After all, most of them were not made for people who look like us.

It is always the responsibility of the leadership of any organization to set the tone for its members and to enforce it.

The controversy that started on campus a few weeks ago has become the perfect illustration of how the SMC administration is failing at making its mission and values be more than words on a pamphlet. The college failed when a department chair was able to appoint someone a “playwright-in-residence” without any type of selection process or considering other candidates for the position. It failed when a play about the African American experience written by a white male was put into production without the input from the several departments, professors and scholars it has at its disposal. It failed when the dialect coach hired for the production is an SMC trained equity coach who did not find any issues with the play’s content. It failed at not predicting the controversial nature of the production and not preparing the cast and crew for possible pushback. It failed to properly address the several concerns that

"My only wish is for the next generations of students to feel like they belong on this campus in a way that I never have."

were raised by the community and at handling the discussions that ensued thereafter. Discussions which included accusations of harassment and bullying being thrown around without any type of repercussions for the parties involved.

First Amendments Rights advocacy groups were contacted. The Los Angeles Times reported on it. Signs reading “SMC does not care about Black students’ feelings” and “SMC supports rape culture and sexual debasement” were written. The truth is, it didn’t have to come to this. With proper early intervention, the play could have still happened and the work the actors put into it for several weeks would have had a chance to be showcased.

Some might advise me against criticizing the administration of the college I attend, but it is only because I care about it that I feel the need to address these issues. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had during my time at SMC. I have learned amazing things and met incredible people. I have found a career path and a passion. My only wish is for the next generations of students to feel like they belong on this campus in a way that I never have. And it is by not speaking up that we allow injustices to continue to harm others.

We have, therefore, decided to dedicate this entire issue to the coverage of this still unfolding story. We have organized the articles in the order they were published and included conversations we’ve had with faculty and staff with the intention of giving the proper context this situation demands. We have also made several attempts to interview the cast after the play’s cancellation but they declined them in consideration of how it could affect their “careers as actors at SMC.” If this does not exemplify what kind of culture is currently being promoted at SMC, nothing else can.

Victor Chambers Editor-in-Chief

The cast of "By The River Rivanna," surround Tia Jiji, dressed in the white robes of the Yoruba Ancestral Spirits, during the final scenes of the play performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

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Playwright or Wrong?

The newest theater production at SMC is steeped in controversy just days before opening night.

All photos by Akemi Rico Yoruba Ancestral Spirits (L to R) played by Tia Jiji, Kyra Surratt and Farah Harris, appear to Grady Davis, played by Earl Williams (center), in a dream as he sleeps during the play "By The River Rivanna," performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage.

Cebelihle Hlatshwayo, Renee Barlett-Webber, Samayia Kirby & Victor Chambers | Editors

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enior leadership at Santa Monica College (SMC) met on Tuesday morning to discuss whether the SMC theater production of G. Bruce Smith’s “By the River Rivanna” should premiere as planned after faculty members raised concerns about the play’s content over the past week. While the production narrowly escaped cancellation, its opening night on Oct. 20, will be sure to draw attention with the possibility of protests outside.

Written by Smith and directed by Perviz Sawoski, an SMC Theatre Director and faculty member, the story is about Grady Davis, a black lawyer and academic, who is compelled to learn about his ancestry by reading his greatgreat-great-great grandmother’s journal. Grady and his friend, Adrian Arm-

strong, are transported through journal entries to 1850, when their ancestors lived in the Commonwealth of Virginia at the “Hope Plantation.” Grady’s ancestor served as a slave, while Adrian’s was the master. In the play’s second act, it is revealed that one of the male slaves shared a romantic relationship with his male master.

Smith, who is a Caucasian male, is a playwright and former public information officer at SMC. He is currently the college’s first-ever playwright-in-residence. This is Smith and Sawoski’s fifth production together at the SMC theater. The idea for “By the River Rivanna” originally started from Sawoski who was inspired to produce the play after visiting a plantation in South Carolina.

She then brought it to Smith to write.

Smith invited SMC’s Black Colle-

gians program leader Sherri Bradford to attend a rehearsal on Oct. 12. She was accompanied by Dr. Jermaine Junius, president of the Pan-African Alliance.

Junius stated that he found the show deeply distressing. He explained that sitting through the depiction of brutal lashings, even though it occurred offstage, was extremely traumatic. Additionally, the use of the derogatory "n-word" in the play was also troubling to him. He acknowledged that art can sometimes be controversial, as it encourages discussions about contemporary social issues, but said he felt that this particular show did not achieve that goal. Instead, it romanticizes a painful period in American history and ignores the harsh realities of that time.

These concerns were escalated

to the SMC administration, sparking deeper discussions about the possibility of delaying or canceling the play’s premiere. According to Smith, the president of the Faculty Association Peter Morse said that the college has committed to academic freedom and demanding cancellation of the play would be censorship.

“My obligation as an artist is not to make people comfortable and this was a story I was compelled to tell,” said Smith.

When asked about the controversy surrounding the play, SMC student Henry David, who’s an actor in the production, said, “I think you just leave it up to other people as individuals to decide. We're not a monolithic society.

Everybody has their own way of thinking about things and living."

“My obligation as an artist is not to make people comfortable and this was a story I was compelled to tell."

-Bruce Smith

(L to R) Cosette Okker, playing the role of Lucy, a new addition to the slave quarters, who was just whipped, is comforted by Tia Jiji, in the role of Charlotte Miller during the play "By The River Rivanna."

Ava Kitt (L) in the role of Hannah Miller, presents a book and pen to Tia Jiji (R), playing Charlotte Miller during the play "By The River Rivanna."

Tia Jiji, (center) in the role of Charlotte Miller during the final scenes of the play "By The River Rivanna," as she comes to terms with the interactions she observed between her husband and the slave master.

Protests Scheduled To Take Place At Premiere of Controversial SMC Play Cebelihle Hlatshwayo, Renee Barlett-Webber, Samayia Kirby & Victor Chambers | Editors

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ith one day left until the opening night of the “By the River Rivanna” theater production, Santa Monica College’s (SMC) President Kathryn Jeffery has decided the play’s premiere will move forward as scheduled in spite of advocacy from several faculty members for its cancellation.

Protests are expected to take place on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Theater Arts Studio Stage on the college’s main campus.

“By the River Ravanna” was written by former SMC Public Information Officer and current playwright-in-residence G. Bruce Smith and is directed

by SMC Theatre Director and faculty member Perviz Sawoski. The idea for the play, which tells a story set in both modern times and the 19th century about a romantic relationship between a slave and his master, came to Sawoski while visiting Magnolia Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina.

Opposition to the performance began last week after members of the Pan-African Alliance and Black Collegians program attended a rehearsal and found the show “deeply distressing,” according to the president of the Pan-African Alliance, Dr. Jermaine Junius.

Discussions about the play’s premiere continued throughout the week, culminating in Thursday’s meeting among SMC senior staff and legal counsel. Their decision to allow for the play's debut at SMC was based on matters of freedom of speech and academic freedom.

“I recognize that it’s a matter of academic freedom, but it's academic freedom at the expense of our black community,” said English Department faculty member Elisa Meyer. “When the system reinforces that kind of oppression, the people being hurt have no choice but to protest.”

The protests set to happen are being

organized by the Pan-African Alliance with the support of 13 other SMC employee-based organizations. SMC Police Department Chief Johnnie Adams has been preparing the space outside the theater, designating free speech zones and press areas as well as coordinating plans in case of unplanned disruptions. “Ultimately, everybody wants to get their message out, and it’s my job to ensure that they do that safely… so hopefully, tomorrow will be a very smooth demonstration of their right to assemble and have free speech,” he said.

The Pan-African Alliance stated in a release announcing the protests that the play “embraces a romantic version of the terrible and tragic legacy of slavery, sexual abuse, and exploitation in our country.” Latino Center and Adelante program leader Maria Martinez shared the statement encouraging “all to join our Black brothers and sisters at the protest.” SMC’s Student Equity Center also shared the release, adding that “it’s crucial for all to understand the responsibility to freedom of speech and preventing harm,” and that while the organization promotes academic freedom and freedom of speech as “fundamental values,” they also recognize the potential for speech to cause harm, particularly as it relates to “racially-minoritized communities.”

In an email sent to faculty Thursday afternoon, Sawoski said “the play is not meant to be discriminatory against any group of persons” and that there has been “hysteria and misinformation” about it. She said that pulling the public performance would be “akin to censorship” and added that the script has been updated several times up until Wednesday and that it no longer includes the “n-word” as it originally did.

After Tuesday’s technical rehearsal, she commented that “people are putting more thoughts on it than we intended” and “filling in blanks with whatever they

think is egregious.”

Expanding on the production’s leadership stance on censorship, Smith said that he has been in touch with the American Civil Liberties Union and hopes that they “could make a statement or reach out to the administration” to discuss matters related to the U.S. Constitution's first amendment.

After hearing word of the administration’s conclusion, he said that despite what he called harassment and bullying, he and Sawoski are very happy that the show will go on.

Dialect coach and SMC adjunct instructor Crystal Robbins said via Sawoski’s email that she has an issue with the production being called a “slavery play” and that she believes “the central theme is about power in many forms of relationships.” Robbins, a white-presenting person, was hired to instruct the actors on Yoruban dialects and “slave speak,” among others.

While the community anticipated the administration’s final verdict, faculty and students met across campus to discuss the script, its historical accuracy, and reflection on the institution’s values.

History and Ethnic Studies department faculty discussed the script on Wednesday afternoon. “This play insults every aspect of my identity as a queer person, as a black person and someone who is a practitioner of Ifá, which is the religious tradition that is being spoken about,” said history professor Justice Hamilton. On the play’s portrayal of the religion and Yoruban culture, history professor Trisden Shaw explained that it is “historically inaccurate” because enslaved people were deliberately and successfully separated from their traditions by the 1850s. “We can't, in an academically honest way, publish a play like this,” Shaw said.

Cecilia Jeong, president of the SMC’s Associated Students organization, shared a statement on Thursday

acknowledging the importance of academic freedom but adding that “the play perpetuates problematic themes and discourse” including “centering of white perspectives and voices in telling a story about Black experiences” and “romanticizing sexual assault,” among other issues.

The cast members of the student production have continued to rehearse, despite being confronted with opposing views from faculty. Many have expressed they understand both perspectives while others focused on the possibility of the play’s cancellation.

Cast member Ava Kitt shared in a letter to dean and vice president of Academic Affairs James Beardsley that she is “heartbroken that students concerned with their own self-righteousness who couldn't even take it upon themselves to see the play are shutting it down and in doing so, squashing riveting and inspiring work from some very talented and profound Black student actors".

Tia Jiji, playing Charlotte, said that she was hesitant to be part of the play out of respect for her parents who are from Africa. “I told [my mom] what the play is about, and she expressed to me that ‘as long as it’s not offensive, I condone this.’” Regarding the controversy surrounding the play, she said sees both sides.

Lead actor, Earl Williams, expressed conflict over the topics expressed in the play. He said that the African American cast members leave rehearsal and discuss “the challenges and anxiety and just everything that we don't agree with. We talk about that. So, it's heavy.”

He added “I'm not one to sign up for something and then stop or quit. So I tried to find elements in the show that I can grasp onto to be able to, I guess, get me through the process.”

The premiere and the coinciding protest will set the stage for further discussions.

"When the system reinforces that kind of oppression, the people being hurt have no choice but to protest."

– Elisa Meyer

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Perviz Sawoski (Far left), director of the play "By The River Rivanna," at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage before the tech rehearsal on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif.

G. Bruce Smith (Left), author of the play "By The River Rivanna," walks into the stage area at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage before the tech rehearsal .

Crystal Robbins (Right), dialect coach for the play "By The River Rivanna," at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage before the tech rehearsal.

All photos by Akemi Rico

(L) Tia Jiji stands observing Raven Smith (R) perform a dance in front of a backdrop depicting cotton fields on Tuesday Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage during the play "By The River Rivanna". The silhouette of the play's author, Bruce Smith, is visible in the foreground.

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"People are putting more thoughts on it than we intended... They're filling in blanks with whatever they think it's egregious."

– Perviz Sawoski

G. Bruce Smith, author of the play "By The River Rivanna," taking photos during the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage production on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif.

All photos by Akemi Ric

co Tia Jiji and Kyra Surratt (L to R), during the play "By The River Rivanna," performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage.

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"The level of hatred an

SMC "By The River Rivanna" Production Is Canceled Cebelihle Hlatshwayo, Renee Barlett-Webber, Samayia Kirby & Victor Chambers | Editors

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he premiere of Santa Monica College (SMC) Theatre Arts’ production “By The River Rivanna” has officially been canceled after a week of intense debates about its content and social impact. With the support of other 13 SMC employee-based organizations, the Pan-African Alliance led the opposition to the performance, organizing a protest set to take place Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in front of the Theater Arts Studio Stage on the college’s main campus.

The organization stated that the play “embraces a romantic version of the terrible and tragic legacy of slavery, sexual abuse, and exploitation in our country, in addition to trafficking in stereotypic tropes.” They further cited historical inaccuracy, the focus on themes of sexual abuse of Black male and female bodies and a lack of sensitivity for peoples of African ancestry among some of the reasons for their course of action.

The decision was confirmed by the play’s director Perviz Sawoski in a statement shared on the morning of Oct 20.

She explained the decision was made on Oct 19. adding that “the level of hatred and anger in the community was unprecedented.” She supported that “there was no disrespect whatsoever to any community” and that the play “was made a scapegoat.”

Confirmation also came from the SMC administration a few hours later, explaining that the production “has been halted following a collective decision

made by the faculty and student actors involved.”

SMC’s Black Collegians program leader Sherri Bradford shared with faculty and students that while the protest will no longer happen, they would still “come together in community at 6:00 pm to provide a space to process all that has happened.”

It was revealed days later that the cancellation came after the student actors voted for the play to not move forward.

The SMC administration confirmed that Smith and Sawoski were consulted and in agreement with having the voting process determine the production’s future.

The first round of anonymous votes was aimed at determining how many of the cast members wanted the play to move forward and nine students voted to cancel, seven to move forward, and four to delay it. A second round of votes weighed in on how many would like to show a private showing for family and friends. This time, 12 voted yes and eight voted no. After discussing the results, the students agreed that since eight of them did not want to be part of a private showing, the play should be canceled altogether.

Smith said that while he respects the wish of the student actors, he has “no reason to believe they would have voted to cancel the play if the SMC administration hadn’t harassed them.”

The cast members have so far declined to comment on the play’s cancellation.

The cast performs a dance which becomes Grady's nightmare during the play "By The River Riv

nd anger in the community was unprecedented."

– Perviz Sawoski

vanna," performed on Tuesday Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage. Earl Williams can be seen on the right being held back by Xcellen Connor.

Photo by Akemi Rico

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Yoruba Ancestral Spirits (L to R) played by Kyra Surratt, Farah Harris and Tia Jiji, appear to Grady Davis, in a dream during the play "By The River Rivanna," performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage. (Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

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Play’s Cancellation Ripples Through SMC Community

All photos by Akemi Rico (Above) The posters that would have been held by protesters in the case of a protest are displayed in front of the stage in the Student Services Orientation Hall on the main campus at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. (All Opposite) Signs written by students decorate the Student Services Orientation Hall.

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Cameron Terry, president of the Black Collegians Club, speaks on his experience about how the play was brought to his attention at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna."

Nicole Woodard at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna."

Cebelihle Hlatshwayo, Renee Barlett-Webber, Samayia Kirby & Victor Chambers | Editors

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he cancellation of the Santa Monica College’s Theatre Arts Department production “By The River Rivanna” has impacted the college’s community since the decision was made on Oct. 19. The play, depicting a romantic relationship between an enslaved man and a male master in the 1850s, faced strong opposition from various SMC organizations ahead of its scheduled premiere on Oct. 20. Faculty, staff, and students have continued to share their perspectives on the situation in the days that followed.

Pan African Alliance & Black Collegians Instead of the originally planned protests, the SMC Pan African Alliance and Black Collegians program organized a gathering to “provide a space to process all that has happened,” according to Black Collegian’s president Sherri Bradford. Signs reading statements such as “This portrayal is a horrible folktale” and “SMC does not care about Black students’ feelings” decorated the orientation hall where students, faculty, and staff members met on Friday evening.

President of the Pan African Alliance Dr. Jermaine Junius said, “I am ecstatic that this victory shows that we can support our Black students and that we’re here for them.” More than a dozen more community members addressed the audience, expressing anger about the play and gratitude to the leaders who fought to get it canceled. The absence of SMC’s president Dr. Katheryn

Jeffery was also noted.

“We have a Black president that’s not here. That is very telling,” said Psychology Professor Dr. Nicole Woodard.

“This has to go beyond a conversation, it has to keep forward with continual pervasive action from all sides.”

Bradford highlighted that “there’s still a lot of work to be done” at SMC to properly care for students and employees of color, and that it should be an ongoing action led by the college’s leadership. She commented that although the play served as a catalyst for a lot of pain, it has cemented the fact that there is “a community at SMC that is devoted to change.”

“There is a culture on this campus that still is not conducive to an environment where Black students can feel a sense of belonging in general,” Bradford said.

“My main problem with this whole situation is that students should not have been put in a place where the only way for them to get their degree was to play the role of a slave,” said student president of the Black Collegians program Cameron Terry. He affirmed that a couple of actors who were in the production asked him to “do something about it,” motivating Terry to organize the protests.

“It was disheartening to see a school that prides itself on diversity not support those who were challenging the play,” said SMC student David Colefield.

He said students had already started to speak against the production weeks before its cancellation, adding that he has “many close friends that have experienced racism” in the Theatre Arts

department. “I couldn’t believe that the play was trying to push this idea of forgiveness for the oppressor. There is no forgiveness when someone is murdering, abusing, and raping you. You are not the one who has to give forgiveness, you are the one who deserves reparations.”

“My great great great great grandmother was born to enslaved persons.

Her name was Minerva Simons. I’m not even sure she was born enslaved because she was considered property.

Her descendant is here at SMC having to experience the school she loves think that is entertainment,” said student Devan Cotton.

G. Bruce Smith “Cancel culture is alive and well at Santa Monica College,” said “By the River Rivanna’s” writer Bruce Smith via a statement on his Facebook page.

Smith has supported that there has been “an unprecedented and bizarre college administration campaign of bullying and harassment” in favor of the play’s cancellation, calling his positioning a “lonely battle against censorship of First Amendment rights.”

“I don’t care what the material is… it’s censorship, it’s squashing academic freedom,” said Smith. “I will not stop until the college understands that there are consequences to their actions. I will be seeking legal counsel.”

Smith explained he reached out to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a nonprofit focused on “defending fundamental rights on college campuses,” according

to their website. The organization sent a letter to Dr. Jeffery on Oct. 20, stating that they were “deeply concerned by the decision” and that the college “must immediately permit the play to proceed as long as the students would like to do so.” When asked for comment days later, FIRE’s director of Campus Rights Advocacy Alex Morey did not confirm whether the organization was in possession of evidence of “undue administrative pressure” or the reports of harassment before they sent the letter to the SMC administration.

On the play’s content and his place as a white male writing about the African American experience, Smith commented that “if white people only wrote about white people, most of the literary canon would be gone.” He cited Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” and Peter Farrelly’s “The Greenbook” as examples of media pertaining to African Americans that he believes were successfully produced by white authors, adding that “Should Anne Rice write about vampires? She’s not a vampire, as far as we know.”

The playwright added that he “wonders if homophobia” played a role in the advocacy for the play’s cancellation, commenting on the same-sex relationship portrayed between the slave and plantation owner characters. On the accuracy of that relationship, Smith said “you know there were white gay men… gay men who were enslaved, we didn’t invent homosexuality overnight,” adding that “these so-called critics don’t care about the play’s sensitivity.”

"We have a Black president that's not here. That is very telling."

– Dr. Nicole Woodard

Audience applause at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna."

Perviz Sawoski The play’s director and chair of the SMC’s Theatre Arts department said the show was “simple and thoughtfully researched and performed,” and that there was “no disrespect whatsoever intended to any community.” She explained that the cancellation occurred due to the “protests and possibility of violence” and the unprecedented “level of hatred and anger in the community.”

Sawoski commented that the cancellation will not have negative repercussions on the students’ academic standing since they all “have done excellent work and deserve a good grade.”

On appointing Smith as the first ever artist-in-residence of the Theatre Arts department, she said that there was no process for it nor other artists considered for the position. Smith and Sawoski have been long-time collaborators.

One of their previous SMC productions is 2012’s “Heart Mountain,” a play written by Smith while he served as SMC’s public information officer about the Japanese-American experience in internment camps.

Adrian Thomas One of SMC’s lead theater technicians and playwright Adrian Thomas shared his perspective on the play. “As a Black man in America and someone who has been fighting for LGBTQAI rights in LA for decades, I stand for fair and truthful depictions of my culture

and heritage, and this work is extremely uninformed and ignorant,” he said. “My years of experience in the real world of professional theater have informed me that this play would never stand in the world of today without major protest.”

Thomas added that he was not surprised by the events because he has seen problems with the depiction of African Americans in the Theatre department since 2008, when according to him, a white actress cast to play the lead in the adaptation of the musical “Aida” was put on blackface makeup. He said that faculty members such as theatre professor Terrin Adair-Lynch protested the casting, but the play moved forward after being approved by Sawoski.

“I was appalled but felt trapped and like I could not speak up. I was new to the campus and needed the job.”

Joseph McGill Smith cited the work of Joseph McGill as a central inspiration for the play and said that Sawoski approached him with the idea for the production after visiting Magnolia Plantation in South Carolina. The site is one of the plantations included in McGill’s “The Slave Dwelling Project,” where the author and historian explores and discusses the legacy of slavery and plantation sites in America.

McGill said that he doesn’t necessarily have a problem with white people writing stories about the African American experience as long as they are ac-

All photos by Akemi Rico Marisol Moreno, faculty lead for the DREAM resource center, smiles as she is recognized and applauded at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna."

curate and factual. He affirmed that he was never consulted or approached by the play’s creators about its content and that it’s “a good thing the protests are happening.”

“White people often try to make themselves feel more comfortable about slavery by minimizing and romanticizing that period in time,” McGill said. “People come to sites such as plantations to project these ideas, looking for the nice big house and wanting to have weddings while totally disregarding the hardships and history that happened there.”

Student Cast Members One of the student actors in the play, Tia Jiji, said that she initially did not want to be part of the play “out of respect for my African parents,” but decided to join after being asked by Sawoski directly. “While I understand those who are saying that this is art and we’re only trying to tell a story, I also understand that as Black Americans, we deal with generational trauma and it’s painful to watch a play like this.”

“After reading the script for the first time, I had a lot of thoughts. I was a bit shocked at first but as I discussed it with different people of all ages and races, I came to the conclusion that people are complicated and so are characters and stories,” said Ava Kitt, another cast member. Kitt added that she was aware that some of her castmates were hesitant about the play’s

content but was “confused why they didn’t bring up all their concerns” to the director or decided to drop out of the play. She added that she doesn’t “hold anything against” the students who voted to cancel the production.

Several attempts to interview the student actors about the production’s cancellation were made. After two weeks of conversations, they collectively decided to not give an interview due to their “mixed emotions” and fear of impacting their “careers as actors at SMC.” SMC History & Ethnic Studies Department The History & Ethnic Studies department at SMC, one of the 14 organizations that supported the production’s cancellation, issued a statement affirming that “the play’s depiction of slavery in antebellum America lacks grounding in evidence, scholarship, and reality.” They further cited the production’s portrayal of sexual violence, a “colonialist gaze on Black bodies and desire,” the use of racialized stereotypes and “plantation myths,” and the impact on members of SMC’s Black community as some of the reasons for their advocacy.

“If we, at Santa Monica College, are building an educational institution that is rooted in equity, inclusion, and community, we must do better,” the statement read.

"I don't care what the material is.... it's censorship, it's squashing academic freedom."

– Bruce Smith

A Talk with Dr. Junius and Sherri Bradford Hlatshwayo: How did you feel about the support of the other SMC employee-based organizations showed in this moment?

Junius: It was amazing. It's really important to highlight that you can have an issue that is particularly focused within one community but the strength of change had people coming together across communities. Different campus equity stakeholders got together and said we're concerned about our students, we want to mitigate harm and we are going to move forward with what is in the best needs of our students. That warms my heart. It's a model for the campus, actually. It’s a good place to start a campus-wide dialog and conversation about where do we go from here and how do we move forward in an equity focused way.

Hlatshwayo: What do you think should the next steps moving forward be and what is the biggest takeaway we can take from this past week?

Junius: The first step is the one we're in right now, which is coming together and seeing each other and actually having a conversation like we did. It’s important to recognize that when you have a win, we should be present in the moment with that win and take a moment to say we did something we're proud of. Moving forward, I really think it’s time for community dialog and engagement that goes beyond just the people you agree with. Everybody in this space was in agreement about what our goal was for this week. I think the next step is for us to be in community with that, but also to be open to engagement of difference.

Sherri Bradford Hlatshwayo: How do you feel about the show's cancelation and knowing that it was a decision made by the students?

All photos by Akemi Rico

Dr. Jermaine Junius, president of the Pan African Alliance, addresses the audience at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna" in the Student Services Orientation Hall on the main campus at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, Calif. on Oct. 20, 2023.

Bradford: I am so grateful and thankful that their voices were heard because, ultimately, they are the ones that were the most affected by this. So, I’m grateful they had a say in it because proper dialog about it did not happen. I don't appreciate the ways in which both the director and the playwright have lashed out and indicated incorrect information about what students have said and what we have said. So, I'm just grateful that we are at this point, but there's still a lot of work to be done.

Hlatshwayo: What do you think are the next steps moving forward for the Black community at SMC?

Cebelihle Hlatshwayo | Arts & Entertainment Editor

S

MC’s Pan African Alliance president Dr. Jermaine Junius and Black Collegian’s program leader Sherri Bradford weigh in on the social impact of the Theatre Arts department production “By the River Rivanna” and the events that led to its cancelation.

Dr. Jermaine Junius Cebelihle Hlatshwayo: What are your thoughts on the show’s cancellation?

Junius: It's a testament to the power of collective unity and that when Black colleagues get together and organize in solidarity with our allies, there's nothing that we can't do. It shows the strength of working together because this didn't happen in isolation. There seems to be this sense of togetherness and a sense of purpose that people have, and I'm grateful for it because there's still a lot of pain and a lot of trauma and there needs healing within the community.

Hlatshwayo: It was ultimately the students’ decision to not move forward with the play. Were you proud of the students for deciding not to go along with the show?

Junius: I am very proud and heartened that students, and particularly Black students, had the agency to stand up and say, in this space, in this moment, on this campus, “my needs aren't being met or seen.” My hope and goal is that the students that stood up and used their voice will still be able to engage in their passion, in their art form, in a way that is affirming and reflective of art, that speaks to their culture and to their lived experiences in a way that uplifts and does not tear down.

The college community should be focused on mitigating harm even if it's unintentional, so that students are able to continue to thrive in this educational space.

Bradford: We continue to care for our students of color, our Black students, our Black employees of the college. There is a whole lot of pain. You hear so many different stories from students who have been harmed, and not just in this situation. We have to create appropriate aftercare that is genuine, and honest concern and care for our Black community on this campus that has to be led from the top.

Things need to change because there is a culture on this campus that still is not conducive to an environment where Black students can feel a sense of belonging in general.

Hlatshwayo: How did you feel about people from different organizations or programs across the campus coming to your aid in this situation?

Bradford: The allies came out in force, which was amazing. It validates even more that we knew what we were doing was the right thing to do. People were outraged and it went beyond the Black community. Although the play was the catalyst for a lot of pain, it has cemented the fact that there is a community here that is devoted to change… I am tired. I will say that doing this work of racial equity, particularly when you live in the skin of a Black woman, it's not just your job.

It is your life.

"There's a culture on this campus that is still not conducive to an environment where Black students can feel a sense of belonging."

-Sherri Bradford

Rhea Pitre, Ericka Lesley, Jocelyn Wynn, and Nicole Woodard (L to R) in conversation and community at the community gathering in lieu of a protest against the play "By The River Rivanna" in the Student Services Orientation Hall at Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, Calif., Oct. 20, 2023.

The cast of "By The River Rivanna," surround Cosette Okker (center) during the play performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica College Studio Stage.

(Akemi Rico | The Corsair)

24

History and Ethnic Studies professors comment on "By the River Rivanna"

All photos by Akemi Rico

Jackson Miller (L), played by Henry David, approaches Rebecca Miller (R), played by Jennifer Haley Rysso as she reproaches him during the play "By The River Rivanna," performed on Oct. 17th, 2023 in Santa Monica, Calif. at the Santa Monica Colllege Studio Stage.

Samayia Kirby | Culture Editor

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rofessors from SMC’s History and Ethnic Studies department got together on Oct. 18, to talk about the Theatre Arts’ production “By The River Rivanna.” History department chair Dr. Sang Chi and history professors Marisol Moreno, Trisden Shaw, and Justice Isaacs discussed the violence, historical inaccuracy, and academic integrity behind the play and its impact on the college’s community.

Kirby: Could you explain if the historical context of the play is accurate? How important is it that artists not just consider historical accuracy, but prioritize it when depicting the experiences of different ethnic groups?

Chi: “When you dive into traumatic history, specifically of people who have been brutally oppressed, those are legacies that are still with us today and I think we need to, at least when creating that kind of art, do the due diligence of actually looking at historical voices.”

Shaw: “Many of the enslaved people were taken to the Caribbean islands first. There was a process called “seasoning” where they separated Black

people from their traditions, so by the time they got to the United States, they were less rebellious. The play’s addition of Yoruban practices didn't quite fit because, in the 1850s, a lot of those people wouldn't still be carrying out those traditions. It felt like something that was added to try and legitimize the play, but that is actually historically inaccurate.

That was only one of the many inaccuracies in the play, and that’s why we can't, in an academically honest way, publish a play like this.”

nity, why would you want to perpetuate this harm?”

Kirby: What is your reaction to the content in the play? What do you think about the author's intention behind it?

Moreno: “What pains me is that there's a Black female student that's been tasked to read these lines through the lens of a white male’s fantasy. She doesn't even say the word “rape,” that's the egregious part. It doesn't name the damage and the pressure that she’d rather have the white overseer have his way with her as long as she would get a child. Rape is no joke. Sexual assault is no joke. These are things on campus that are tied to Title IX. How are students being prepared to portray something like that?”

Justice: “This play insults every aspect of my identity as a queer person, as a Black person, and as someone who is a practitioner of Ifá which is the religious tradition that it speaks about.”

Moreno: “I wonder why would you want to put something on like that when the Black community has communicated its concerns about it? Why not put a pause on it and engage in dialogue about its impact on the community? As members of a shared commu-

Shaw: “It reminds me of minstrel shows where they would push these caricatures of Black people and take from them the ability to write their own stories. Those were the immediate feelings that I got when reading through the script.”

Kirby: What was your biggest concern about the play’s social impact?

Kirby: Do you feel the well-being of the student actors was properly considered by the author or even the di-

rector?

Justice: “Many Black and brown students have PTSD already as a result of living in a violent police state. So, the idea that you're gonna have a scene where you have someone being beaten off stage but you can still hear their screams can take many people back to their lived experiences. Things like that take me back to when I lived in Philadelphia and the police were tasing a man right on my block.”

Kirby: The author stated, “My obligation as an artist is not to make people comfortable, and this is a story that I was compelled to tell.” What is your reaction to his statement?

Chi: “When we talk about marginalized communities and the oppression they have suffered in the United States, you have to do the hard work of actually looking at the historical voices and the sort of work that's already out there that people have spent their lives researching. Otherwise, you're really just minimizing and belittling the actual lived experiences of people in those communities.”

"We can't, in an academically honest way, publish a play like this."

–Trisden Shaw

Ava Kitt (L), playing Hannah Miller, listens as Tia Jiji (R foreground), in the role of Charlotte Miller during the final scenes of the play "By The River Rivanna," as she tells Hannah about the interactions she observed between her husband and the slave master. In the background, (L to R) Auryn Rothwell and Earl Williams listen and observe.

Justice: “What is happening here is the apex of white privilege and individualism. This play doesn't really critically engage with ancestry, racial dynamics, or any critical work.”

but not surprised that their concerns were initially diminished and thrown out by SMC. As educators of this community, what is your reaction to this?

Kirby: How do you feel about the way that SMC handled the situation?

What do you think could have been done differently?

Shaw: “My research as a scholar has shown how retention is tied to the feeling of belonging on campus, how student success is inextricably linked to the feeling of “Oh, I deserve to be here, this place is also for me.” That's what equity and diversity are meant to do. If we're standing on those principles it's important that we are making communities of color that have historically been made uncomfortable feel as though they have a place here.”

Moreno: “I'm concerned that this is not reflective of the college’s equity mission and values. These are not the initiatives of creating a culturally responsive curriculum or being anti-racist. I am baffled and really hurt that part of our campus entity refuses to engage and kind of hold space and engage on some of the problematic issues that my colleagues are speaking out against.

I would have liked to have seen the college not be so concerned with one individual's claim of a violation of a right that's never been denied to him, and to focus more on the collective pain that the play inflicted. Right here is a reason why we are experiencing racial equity gaps on this campus.”

Kirby: Many Black students expressed that they were disappointed

“This is not reflective of the college's equity mission and values. These are not the initiatives of creating a culturally responsive curriculum or being anti-racist."

– Marisol Moreno